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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29837145">She Walks in Beauty</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/daria102205/pseuds/daria102205'>daria102205</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Post-Battle of Hogwarts</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:13:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>44,706</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29837145</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/daria102205/pseuds/daria102205</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a Harry Potter fan fiction that takes place about five years after the final battle with Voldemort.</p><p>Everyone thought that the worst was over, but they thought incorrectly.  Seemingly disconnected disappearances start becoming nasty, eerily similar deaths and no one knows why or who could be behind it.   Finding the people responsible is proving to be considerably more difficult than anyone would like, so Harry decides to get help from an unlikely source.  Disliked and mistrusted by most of the wizarding world, Draco Malfoy is the last person that anyone--especially Hermione Granger--expects or wants help from....or so she thinks.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You don't know that he'll say 'no'."</p><p>Harry sighed heavily and massaged his temples.</p><p>"You're right, of course.  Truth be told even if he agrees I don't know if it will help."  Ginny lifted one shoulder in a small shrug.</p><p>"Who knows?  Maybe he'll not only say 'yes' as soon as you ask him but he'll have ideas that will help get this taken care of faster."</p><p>Harry smiled at Ginny's back as she cleared away the last of the breakfast dishes.  Trust her to choose the more optimistic scenario no matter how poorly he expected things to go.  He chuckled quietly.</p><p>"Here's hoping your right."</p><p>Ginny stacked the last dish and turned with a look of concern.</p><p>"Have you heard from Hermione yet?"</p><p>Harry's smile was replaced with a worried frown.</p><p>"Not since the service.  She's sent owls to Tessa to see if there were any new leads, but other than that there's been nothing and that’s not like her.  I'm stopping to check on her this morning."</p><p>"When you see her, give her my love and ask her when I can stop by."</p><p>"Absolutely.  I'll send you an owl later and let you know how everything went."  He stood up from the table and ran his hands through his hair.  "Guess I'd better get going."</p><p>She gave him a tight hug and a tender kiss.</p><p>"Good luck &amp; be safe."</p><p>"Always," he said with a small smile.</p><p>Pulling on his robes as he went, he walked out into the early morning air and drew a deep breath before apparating.  Time for his meeting at Malfoy Manor.</p><p> </p><p>Draco had been up since before dawn.  He couldn't remember the last time he slept more than two or three hours at a stretch.  To pass the time, he made his way to the back of the manor.</p><p>He was glad the repairs were finished.  Granted it would have taken less time for the work to be finished if he had simply restored everything back to its original state, but he had taken the opportunity to make some changes.</p><p>Without breaking his stride, he raised his wand at a set of heavy double doors, released the locks and walked into a large, sparsely furnished space.  Though the wine-colored drapes, hickory flooring and marble pillars were in keeping with the rest of the house, it was not designed with entertaining or impressing people in mind.  Shutting the doors behind him, he closed his eyes and drew a slow, calming breath.  Walking to the concert grand piano, he sat down and began to quietly play one of his favorite pieces, Chopin’s Prelude in C minor.  This was his sanctuary; a place where he could express himself with art and music as he chose.  Such creative freedom had never been allowed when his parents ran the house, but to be fair, his mother would have been much more understanding than his father.  Now there was no one.</p><p>Turning his head slightly, his hands stilled and his gaze traveled out the bank of large windows to the grounds below.  He liked to think that his mother would approve of the arrangements he'd made for her.  She was surrounded by roses in her own private garden.  The idea of always having her favorite flowers close by would have made her very happy.</p><p>He bent his head as a wave of fury washed over him.  <i>Damn you</i>, he thought.  <i>It should have been you; never her.</i></p><p>A firm knock on the door broke into his thoughts.</p><p>"Come in."</p><p>"A gentleman has just apparated outside the front gate, sir."</p><p>"Show him into the study, Bates."</p><p>"Very well, sir."</p><p>Time to find out what it was that Potter wanted.</p><p> </p><p>Harry waited in the middle of the book-lined room.  He'd not been in this part of the house; last time he was here it was to respond to the explosion and that was at the rear of the building.  Just then, the door swung open and Draco strode through.  It was not lost on him that Harry was in his ministry robes, which meant this was likely a business visit.</p><p>"Potter," he said with a nod of acknowledgement, which Harry returned.</p><p>"Malfoy.  Have you healed alright?"  Draco shrugged.</p><p>"For the most part.  Dittany keeps the wounds in check and I’m still working on getting the last of my flexibility back, but that takes time."  He walked to one of the seats in front of the fireplace and gestured for Harry to take the other.  "You'll excuse the directness, but why are you here?"</p><p>"I'm here to offer you a job."</p><p>Draco's expression didn't change except for the lifting of an eyebrow, but he was glad he had been sitting down.  That was one of the last things he had ever expected to hear from anyone, let alone the head of the Golden Trio.</p><p>"You're joking."</p><p>"Nope."</p><p>"Then you're mental."  Harry smiled slightly at that.  </p><p>"Possibly."</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>Harry watched him with a thoughtful, serious expression as he answered.</p><p>"You're smart, skilled and a powerful wizard.  A former Death Eater, yes, but you fought for us after we saved you in the Room of Requirement.  Since Voldemort's defeat you've stopped going to Knockturn Alley, you’ve distanced yourself from known pure-blood fanatics and quietly donated thousands to recovery efforts."</p><p>Draco crossed his arms across his chest and narrowed his eyes.</p><p>"You've been having me followed."</p><p>"No.  Followed you myself, actually."</p><p>"At the risk of repeating myself:  why?"</p><p>"To see if my theory was correct.  I think it is."</p><p>No longer able to sit still, Draco rose abruptly and began to pace.  Harry remained seated, watching him carefully.</p><p>"You see," Harry continued, "everyone else I've ever come across with a Death Eater's brand was eager for and completely engrossed in the torture and death that Voldemort expected them to dish out.  Nothing was off limits and they reveled in it--except for you."</p><p>Harry rose to his feet and stood directly in Draco's path, forcing him to stop.</p><p>"You got roped into the ranks because of your parents--you never volunteered.  When you had to repair the vanishing cabinets, you did it out of fear of retaliation if you refused, not because you were a staunch supporter of their cause.  When the time came to murder Dumbledore, you only disarmed him; you couldn't bring yourself to kill him."  Harry paused to let that sink in.  "You had two opportunities to get rid of me and didn't take either one.  Whatever pure-blood bias you got from your upbringing wasn't enough to change your nature."</p><p>Silence reigned for several minutes while Draco considered.</p><p>"What kind of job?"</p><p>"An auror.  Specifically, a squad captain for our Intelligence and Surveillance Division."</p><p>"Since when is there an Intelligence and Surveillance Division?"  Harry's expression became grave.</p><p>"A little better than a year after the war ended, both wizards and muggles alike slowly began disappearing.  At first, neither the ministry or the muggle authorities paid much heed; nothing appear to tie the missing people together and there was no evidence of any crime.  Things have started changing over the last several months, though.  Disappearances becoming more frequent are bad enough but recently people have been turning up dead as well.  We’re working on trying to get to the meaning behind it and catch who's responsible, but we realized we needed a more covert force so it was decided that some of our auror squads would have more specialized training.  Revamping the ministry has helped our efficiency considerably, but we need to do more.  You're part of the 'more'."</p><p>"You realize," Draco said carefully, "that being a former Death Eater will not endear me to the rest of your department.  Most of them would rather hex me when my back is turned rather than work with me."</p><p>"If they practice what they preach they'll cooperate and if they can't I'll expect them to clear out their desks," Harry responded firmly.</p><p>There was no hiding the surprise in Draco's expression this time.</p><p>"You can't be serious!  Why would you risk losing aurors and Merlin knows who else for this?"</p><p>"Because if we can't figure out a way to get past prejudice then we're no better than who we fought against," Harry said simply.</p><p>The two men stared steadily at each other, one waiting tensely for an answer, the other lost in thought.  A lot was riding on this decision and they both knew it.  Slowly, deliberately, Draco extended his hand.</p><p>"Brilliant," said Harry with a wide smile.  "Meet me outside the main entrance at five o'clock."</p><p>"Why after hours?"</p><p>"I want to give you a tour of the building and run over security with you before you officially start on Monday, but I have someplace else I need to go first and I'm not sure when I'll get back."</p><p>"Alright.  Should I bring anything?"</p><p>"Just your wand."</p><p>"See you at five, then.  Bates will see you to the gate so you get through the wards."  With that, he turned and headed for the door.</p><p>"Malfoy," Harry said.  Draco turned with his hand on the doorknob and looked at him with a puzzled expression.  "Thank you."</p><p>For the life of him, Draco could not remember the last time anyone sincerely thanked him for anything.</p><p>"You're welcome."</p><p> </p><p>Once he was back outside the gate and the butler vanished, Harry drew his hand through his hair and heaved a sigh of relief.  That had gone considerably better than he had expected it to.  He just hoped his next meeting went as well.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione put the last of her books on the shelves and carried the box to the courtyard for the time being.  She collapsed it and laid it with the others before pausing to look around at the garden she planted.  Even without the enchantments she had placed on it, it would have been a peaceful place.  She desperately needed peace.  That and time to regroup.</p><p>Closing her eyes, she drew a deep breath and went back inside, deciding she needed a cup of tea.  She smiled sadly to herself as she got her mug down from the cupboard.  It had always been the first thing her mother did when something stressful or upsetting was happening--make tea.  Her eyes began to water and she choked back a sob.</p><p>"You don't have to go through this alone, you know," said a soft voice behind her.  She turned with a start.</p><p>"Harry," she whispered.</p><p>He opened his arms and, with tears streaming down her face, she walked into them.  For several minutes he held her while she tried to compose herself.</p><p>"What have you been doing, Hermione?" he asked softly.  "We've been so worried and we didn't hear from you.  That's not like you at all."</p><p>"I know, Harry," she sniffed quietly.  "Part of it was still trying to move while I was getting everything in order.  The wills had to be sorted after the...funerals..."</p><p>He said nothing, giving her time to continue when she was ready.</p><p>"They were safe, Harry," she said sadly.  "They were safe until I restored their memories and brought them home."</p><p>"Hermione--," he began gently, but she turned away from him sharply and stepped to the window.</p><p>"They were safe!  But I thought the danger was over and I could have my parents back.  I missed them so much.  They were going to come here and stay with me for a while, learn about what happened and help me put the house in order.  And they...they were the first to die."</p><p>Harry strode to her and gently gripped her shoulders, turning her gently but firmly to face him.</p><p>"We don't know why it happened or who was responsible.  You can't blame yourself for what happened to them any more than you can blame yourself for what happened between you and Ron."</p><p>"But--"</p><p>"Stop,” he said firmly.  "Just stop.  We've been through hell together and taken a lot of heartbreak, but even someone who's gone through what we have and made it has a breaking point.  Losing your parents was yours but it was bloody well not your fault."</p><p>Hermione looked at him and saw the love and loyalty written on his face.  She closed the distance between them and received another fierce hug in return.</p><p>"We'll find out who's behind this and you and dozens of others will finally have closure.  But to get there, we need to keep searching, keep fighting."</p><p>"It was supposed to be over," Hermione whispered brokenly.  "It was supposed to stop when Voldemort died."  he let out a heavy, bone-weary sigh as he let her go.</p><p>"I know," he said softly.</p><p>She walked back to the window and stared out into space, deep in her own thoughts.  He was silent for a moment before asking gently, "What can I do, Hermione?"</p><p>Drawing a deep, steadying breath, she turned to face him with a small, watery-eyed smile.</p><p>"Nothing you haven't already done.  You're the best friend I could ask for.  I'm so sorry I worried you so much."</p><p>"You don't need to apologize.  It's been rough going to say the least and I get that you needed to shut down for a while."</p><p>"I could have at least let you know I was going to be in hiding," she said ruefully.  Harry lifted an eyebrow and smirked.</p><p>"Technically you're not in hiding if you owl the office once a day for information.  That's the only reason I held off coming to check on you—I knew where you were."</p><p>"Harry, I'm so sorry!  You and Ginny--"</p><p>"Stop apologizing!  You needed time and we respect that.  Ginny said that she sends her love and wanted to know when she could stop by to see you."</p><p>"Please give her mine and let her know that I'll stop by tomorrow.  The house is getting there, but it isn't company ready yet."  He smiled gently.  Since moving out of the flat that she and Ron had shared, she had done almost noting with her new home; unpacking her clothes and basic necessities had been all she bothered with.  Hermione being fastidious was a good sign.</p><p>"I will.  She'll be very happy to see you."  He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked at her seriously.  "Are you alright?"  She drew a shaky breath before answering.</p><p>"No, I'm not; but I'll manage because I have to.  There's no way to bring them back no matter how much I wish I could.  There's nothing else to be done but go after the ones responsible."</p><p>"Agreed," he answered softly.  It was then his turn to stare off into the distance, lost in thought.  "The hollow feeling never leaves.  My parents were gone before I had any memories of them and yet there isn't a day that I don't wish they were still here."</p><p>She looked up at him, so thankful that she had him in her life.  Wrapping him in a rib-cracking hug she staved off a fresh wave of tears.</p><p>"Love you, Harry."</p><p>Placing a brotherly kiss on top of her head, he answered, "Love you, too."</p><p>He linked his arm through hers and walked in silence back toward the fireplace in the living room.  It was one of only two connected to his office at the ministry and he and Ginny were two of the few people that her wards allowed to pass freely through.  He decided that they were going to start making use of that more often; she had retreated from everything after her parent’s funeral but he was starting to think that they ought to have insisted she at least spend time with them if no one else. </p><p>"I need to get to the office and get some things taken care of.  Promise we'll see you tomorrow?"  She gave him the first full, genuine smile that crossed her face in weeks.</p><p>"Promise," she said.</p><p>Harry gave a satisfied nod and turned toward the fireplace, grabbing a fist full of floo powder as he went.  With a wink, he turned to the hearth and firmly said, "Ministry of Magic, Office of the Head of Magical Law Enforcement!"</p><p>When he had disappeared, she walked into the dining room, opened up a small box and began removing doll-sized pieces of furniture.  Once she placed them where she wanted them, she raised her hand and returned them to their proper size one at a time.  As she began unpacking her parent’s china and her table linens, she decided she would finish this room, grab a shower and head to the office for a while.  Since it was Friday, the ministry would be deserted and she could get caught up on some things before Monday without being disturbed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>At first glance, this might seem a little out of character for Hermione, but the more I thought about what she went through in the original stories and what I have going on in my own the more I realized that its really the only place she could possibly be right now.  Hermione has finally reached her emotional limit, her maximum effort; she could no longer cope with the pain in her life so she retreated from it (similar to the film "Twelve O'Clock High" (1949), which I highly recommend).  Don't worry though--she's slowly climbing out of it. ;)</p><p>Thanks very much for reading and I hope you continue to enjoy it! :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Draco arrived at the Ministry of Magic, Harry was waiting for him.  Unlike earlier, he was in street clothes.  Upon seeing him, Harry extended his hand, which Draco accepted after a moment’s hesitation.</p><p>"Thanks again for accepting, Malfoy."</p><p>"Don't be too enthusiastic yet, Potter," he warned.  "I'm assuming you haven't informed the rest of the department that I've signed on so you may have a small revolt on your hands Monday morning."</p><p>"I'll deal with that if it's necessary."</p><p>Draco shook his head as they entered the hall leading to the main lobby.  He had a feeling that his working for the ministry was going to be about as well received as a mountain troll crashing a wedding, but clearly there was no arguing with the Chosen One.  Deciding that his career at the ministry would be at least interesting, if short-lived, he continued to walk to the atrium.</p><p>Just as they passed the last of the fireplaces, he suddenly felt cold all over; like having a ghost float through him.  He stopped and raised his wand.</p><p>"What was that spell?" he demanded.  Harry stopped walking and turned, momentarily puzzled.</p><p>"Hmmm?  Oh, sorry 'bout that--I forgot to warn you."  He nodded to the large doorway they just walked through.  "Every entrance and exit has been equipped with our version of The Thieves Downfall.  It strips away any spells of disguise or concealment.  Which reminds me," he said as he pulled a badge from his pocket, "you'll need this to get through the next ward."</p><p>They resumed walking and Draco saw that the 'Magic is Might' fountain had been removed and the new fountain--twin dragons flanking a shield with the ministry seal--now had an expansive visitor center counter in front of it.  Harry veered to the right and Draco paced him, looking for other changes that had been made.  As they passed the edge of the counter, there was a gentle rush of warm air.</p><p>"That one scans for a badge.  Should anyone try to pass without a badge or a visitor pass they get stuck until one of us comes down to release them."</p><p>Draco arched an eyebrow at him and smirked, "Bit paranoid, aren't we?"  Harry’s brow creased in response.</p><p>"Lots of people used to think so.  Not anymore."</p><p>"Where are we going exactly?"</p><p>"To show you your office and give you a basic understanding of how everything runs these days.  It’s fairly easy to get to the other departments from there and the tapestries will be of use until you have the new layout memorized.  Your clearance allows you to go anywhere in the building at any time, though there are some people that have placed wards on their doors that prevent you from getting in without an appointment."</p><p>"Who has access to the department other than the aurors?"</p><p>"Kingsley is the only other ministry member with unlimited access to our department.  Some of the senior ministers need to be there occasionally, but they would then have an appointment or be given a special clearance.  We want to be sure that the information that we handle goes no further than it needs to."</p><p>Draco considered this for a moment.</p><p>"What kind of schedule am I on?"</p><p>"Your training starts Monday after the department briefing.  When you start field work is entirely dependent on how you progress through the training."</p><p>Draco's brow furrowed.  That sounded more complicated than he would have liked.  Now that he had accepted the position he wanted to get right to work.  Noticing his expression, Harry chuckled and smiled slightly.</p><p>"Don't look so put out; you get an evaluation first.  There will likely be several bits you won't have to deal with."</p><p>All of a sudden, Harry stopped short and flung his arm across Draco's chest to stop him as well.  As Draco scowled and drew breath to protest, Harry put his finger to his lips for silence and then touched his left ear.  Paying closer attention, they could hear footsteps and the opening and closing of drawers.  Both men drew their wands and crept to the end of the hallway.  Harry eased around the corner then turned to Draco, signaling him to lean in as well.</p><p>"Two offices open.  You take the one on the right; don't do more than stun if you can," he whispered.  Draco nodded and followed him around the central secretary's desk.  Each pressed against the wall with his wand raised.  Harry raised his left hand and counted down silently:  3...2...1...they each fired stunning spells as they whipped through the doorways.  The robed figure in front of Draco crumpled to the floor.</p><p>"In here!"</p><p>Draco waited until Harry strode through the door and, wands raised, they cautiously approached the prone figure.  With only the desk lamp lit, they could see little more than a robed figure even after their eyes adjusted to the dim light.  Harry knelt down and rolled the intruder over.</p><p>"Bloody hell," he whispered.</p><p> </p><p>Slowly, groggily Hermione opened her eyes and willed her fuzzy vision to focus.  <i>What kind of dirty great git stuns in the back</i>, she thought angrily.  The person standing a few feet away from her turned around and in one fluid motion she jumped off the lounge she had been laying on, eyes burning in anger.  Harry spun around when he heard her feet hit the floor.</p><p>"Hermione, no!" But he wasn't fast enough.  She whipped her right arm out as if she were stopping traffic and Draco was yanked off his feet and pinned to the wall behind him.</p><p>"What are you doing here, Malfoy," she snarled.</p><p>"Let him down," Harry insisted.  She snapped her head around to face him, having just registered he was there.</p><p>"What's he doing here?" she demanded.  Harry closed his eyes briefly and drew a deep breath.  She was not going to be happy about this.</p><p>"He works here now," he said.  "He accepted a post as Squad Captain this morning."</p><p>Hermione was so nonplussed that she forgot about maintaining her spell and dropped Draco with a thud.</p><p>"You can't be serious!  What could possess you to offer him a job!  He's a slimy, deceitful—"</p><p>"I resent 'slimy', Granger," Draco said indignantly, picking himself off the floor.</p><p>"Shut it, Malfoy," she snapped.  Hermione crossed her arms and returned her attention to Harry, fuming silently.</p><p>"Hear me out, please?"  She nodded curtly.  "Right...Well, we need skilled squad captains and I'd been thinking of asking him for a while.  He wasn't behind many at school with his marks, is resourceful and can improvise."  Hermione drew breath to interrupt, but Harry raised his hand to stop her.  "As to character, I followed him myself to see if my hunch was correct.  Nothing I saw showed me he was carrying on like a Death Eater."</p><p>She looked at Draco with tear-filled eyes still bright with anger.</p><p>"That doesn't change what he's done," she said quietly.  "It doesn't make him trustworthy."</p><p>"Your right, Granger, it doesn't change the past," Draco said, his own anger rising.  "I never expected to walk in here and be greeted with smiles and open arms.  I spent a lot of time being an arrogant prat and still more doing things I've come to regret.  I'm still not the nicest, most social person you could hope to work with.  What I do expect is that you and everyone else working in this sanctimonious pile of bricks will give me the chance to atone for some of it."</p><p>She stared stonily back at him for a moment.  He was right.  It galled her, but he was right.  If they singled out people based on past misdeeds and shunned or mistreated them then they were no better than Voldemort.  A person should have at least one chance at redeeming themselves.</p><p>"Fine," she said sourly.  "He starts Monday, I suppose?"  Harry nodded.  "Very well.  Since you're here now, take a look at what I've been working on."</p><p>She swept her arm in front of the wall to the right of her desk.  A bulletin board that took up almost the entire length of the wall appeared with groups of information tacked up in orderly rows.  The larger group was entitled 'Missing' while the second, smaller group was labeled ‘Deceased'.</p><p>"Every one of the unexplained disappearances or unsolved murders we believe to be related is here, in chronological order.  I'm still combing the files to get the basic data, but once I've gone through them I'll be able to look for any common factors that would indicate a pattern."</p><p>"Brilliant, Hermione," Harry said.  He turned his attention to the files on the desk.  "Is there anything else you need now or do you want to wait until you're done with what you have?"</p><p>"You need a map of the city," Draco stated as he continued to look at the board.</p><p>"What for?" Harry asked.  Draco indicated the first row of disappearances.</p><p>"They've started in the northern part of the city and it will be necessary to see if their movements remain grouped in areas that they work through systematically or if they become more random.  The first four are up around Hampstead and Camden Town but the fifth, though in the north, is outside the city limits.  That would indicate either it's not part of the pattern or that that particular target was, for whatever reason, worth the trouble to get there."  He turned to see Hermione watching him with a thoughtful expression.</p><p>"Originally I was going to start by looking at timing and magical ties, but I think I'll add location to the group of factors I review first."  She held his eyes for a moment.  "Thank you for the suggestion." He lifted his brow.</p><p>"That wasn't so bad, was it, Granger?"</p><p>"That had nothing to do with you and everything to do with my parents raising me with manners," she replied evenly.</p><p>As Draco opened his mouth to respond, there was a loud noise from a small, silver-colored object on the desk.  Hermione walked past Harry, who was propped on the desk poring over a file, and picked up a palm sized rectangle.  His brow furrowed as she flipped it over in her hand, smiled slightly and, after tapping the side facing her, sat down and held it to her ear.</p><p>"Hi," she said gently.  "Thanks, I really appreciate that...No, I can't tonight...Not sure.  I'm going to Harry &amp; Ginny's for a bit tomorrow."  She looked up as Harry snapped his fingers quietly to get her attention.  "Hang on."</p><p>"Come over earlier in the day so you have more time in the evening," he said.  She smiled her thanks and resumed the conversation.</p><p>"Yes, that was Harry...We're at the office...Not really, I just wanted to get some things done before Monday morning...What?!" she laughed outright.  "Lord, you're awful!"</p><p>Without Draco realizing it, he had begun watching Hermione closely with a slight scowl on his face.  Who was she talking to?  Even while some unnamed emotion surfaced as he listened, he couldn’t help watching her—her eyes sparkled when she smiled.  She chuckled and shook her head.</p><p>"What time, then?...Alright...See you then."  She shook her head again as she slipped the device in her pocket as Harry set the file back on her desk, posing a question as he did so.</p><p>"There a time we should expect you tomorrow?  You know you can show up whenever."</p><p>"Likely mid-morning--maybe nine?"  Harry nodded.  "That'll give the chance for a long visit and I can still take my own sweet time getting ready."</p><p>"Okay," Harry said.  Nodding toward the board he asked, "Do you want any help with this?"</p><p>"I’ve almost finished it, but thanks.  Unless you need them for something I'd like to keep the files with me.  Once I get the basic information up there I'd like you to review it and get your perspective before we update Kingsley."</p><p>"Keep them as long as you need.  I've read through them but haven’t had time to put together any kind of table to correlate anything, so this is hugely helpful.  Are you staying late?"</p><p>"Not much longer.  I'll be in early Monday so I can jump back in with the squads before I need to be at my desk."</p><p>"Right.  Well, now that we know you aren't an intruder we're going back to orientation."</p><p>"My apologies for stunning you, Granger," Draco said.  "In my defense, however, I didn't recognize you with your hair pulled back.  Had it been down I would have recognized you instantly."</p><p>"It has the tendency to get in my way at work."  Turning to Harry she asked, "Usual run through for him?"</p><p>"I'm still here, you know," Draco said with no small amount of irritation.</p><p>"We're off, then," Harry said with a chuckle.  He pulled her into a one-armed hug and planted a brotherly kiss on her temple.  "Sleep well and we'll see you in the morning."</p><p>"G'night, Harry," she said with a smile.  "See you Monday, Malfoy."</p><p>"'Til Monday," he acknowledged with a slight nod.</p><p>They left her to tidy her desk and headed across the hall, where Harry opened the door and stood back to allow Draco to pass.</p><p>"What's Granger's position?"  Harry closed the door and propped himself against it while he watched Draco familiarize himself with the space.</p><p>"Assistant Director.  We both started as squad captains, though not at the same time since she went back to Hogwarts to finish her last year.  Robards was still running the department then, but it was no secret that Voldemort overthrowing the ministry from the inside was a huge blow for him; I think he felt responsible for it in a way.  He wanted to help set things to rights, but didn’t want to stay indefinitely.  When it came time for a new head of department, we were both eligible but I wanted the position and Hermione didn't."</p><p>"Wonder why," Draco puzzled aloud.  "She strikes me as ambitious as well as smart."</p><p>"She's both.  Matter of fact I asked her when I took the office why she didn't want it.  She said she wanted to do more than squad captain, but didn’t want to give up her post on the Committee for the Care &amp; Regulation of Magical Creatures.  It was very important to her to be able to do justice to both departments, continue to make a difference.  I offered her the job of Assistant Director, which she took on one condition."  Draco looked up from exploring the contents of his desk.</p><p>"What was the condition?” he asked.  Unexpectedly, a very Slytherin-like smirk crossed the face of the raven-haired wizard.</p><p>"She wanted to train the new recruits."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I have to say I had a lot of fun with this chapter; a touch of angst with Hermione &amp; Draco, a smidgen of mischievous anticipation from Harry--made me very happy.  Also, the device that Hermione picks up is not a whoops on my part--I did not mistakenly put a smartphone in where they were not around yet.  Can you guess what it might be? ;) </p><p>You are very much appreciated--thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Monday morning found Draco entering the ministry at what he considered a totally ridiculous hour.  <i>Who needs to start working at 5:00</i>, he asked himself.</p><p>He had completed all the appropriate paperwork on Friday so it could be processed immediately and he would be in the system no later than that afternoon.  His safeguards and passwords were set up as well so all he had left were his evaluations to see what, if any, further training he would have to have.  There was no denying that he was not looking forward to the evaluations.  Whether or not he was capable had nothing to do with the feeling; more that he was expecting Granger to do her utmost to give him the hardest time possible.  She didn't trust him worth a wooden knut and, as such, wanted as little to do with him as possible.</p><p>He continued to frown as he made his way to the first training room.  Potter had explained that the device she had been using last night was called a ‘personal digital assistant’--a type of muggle organization and communication device.  Who had she been talking to?  She clearly felt close them, whoever they were.  Did she speak to them often?  The way she had been speaking to that person; it had gotten under his skin.  It took him until the wee hours of Saturday morning when he'd finally put his brushes away to realize why it had bothered him so much.  He wished the voice were for him.</p><p>Giving himself a mental shake, he reached the training room and stopped abruptly as he swung open the door to see it full of people who, as one, all turned to face him.  <i>Damn</i>, he thought.  Evidently introductions were going to come first.</p><p> </p><p>"You realize that this is going to cause a problem," Hermione said quietly to Harry as the squads took their seats.  "Not only will he be the only one from Slytherin, but he's a former Death Eater."</p><p>"They don't have to give their approval, 'Mione," he said steadily, looking through a file in his hand.  "Ours is a dangerous job and I'll give any competent witch or wizard that checks out the chance to join our ranks if they're willing to take the risk.  What house they were in, who their family is doesn't matter.  Even which side they were on in the past doesn’t matter if they’re willing to truly change their way of thinking.  I agree with you that it won't be easy, but it's still going to be done."</p><p>She smiled at his profile.  Always the quiet, yet determined acceptance of the task at hand.  It was one of the qualities that made him not just a great friend, but a great leader.<br/>
Just then the door opened and everyone turned to see Malfoy frozen in the doorway.</p><p><i>Well</i>, Hermione thought, <i>here we go...</i></p><p> </p><p>Draco walked steadily toward the front of the room amidst the drone of conversation that he knew was directly related to his appearance.  He scanned the crowd briefly as he went, noting that he did not see any fellow Slytherins.  <i>This will definitely be a battle</i>, he decided, <i>but it's one I can win.</i></p><p>He reached where Harry, Hermione and a few others were standing and took a place at the end of the row.  After a brief glance at Hermione, who nodded that she was ready, Harry stepped forward and the room fell silent.</p><p>"Good morning, everyone.  Before we get into the meeting, I have some introductions to make." He turned to look at the four people to his left.  "Astoria Wyngate - auror, specializing in healing; she'll be assigned to Squad 3."  She smiled warmly at the crowd in response to the applause.  Harry waited a moment and moved to the next person.</p><p>"Christopher Matlock - auror, specializing in muggle and magical combat; assigned to Squad 1."  More applause.</p><p>"Melanie Castner - auror, specialty and assignment undetermined."  She gave a small, sprightly wave in answer to her welcome.  Harry braced himself.</p><p>"Draco Malfoy - auror, specialty undetermined; squad captain."</p><p>"That's rubbish, Harry, and you know it!"  Seamus Finnigan called out.  "He's a Death Eater!  We don't want him!"</p><p>An angry buzz filled the room punctuated by the occasional 'Get out, Malfoy!'  Harry glanced over to see Draco watching the crowd with narrowed eyes and balled fists, but he hadn't said anything.  More importantly, he hadn't drawn his wand.  Harry closed his eyes and briefly thought 'sonorus'.</p><p>"THAT'S ENOUGH!"  All sound, all motion ceased immediately.  Harry never amplified his voice.  Looking at him, everyone was surprised to see anger and disappointment written plainly on his face.  After thinking 'quietus', he continued and there was no mistaking the disgust in his voice.</p><p>"Can you hear yourselves?  Has everything we’ve gone through taught you nothing?"  He saw Seamus open his mouth to speak and cut across him.  "Save it, Seamus.  I'm the last person here who needs to be reminded of what Malfoy was.  All of you, however, evidently need to be reminded that we supposedly hold everyone to be of equal value.  Supposedly we fought and died to prove that prejudice in any way—whether among ourselves or against muggles—was something we weren’t willing to tolerate."  He let that sink in before continuing.</p><p>"I don't expect many of you to be either happy or comfortable with this decision.  I can respect that trust takes time to earn, it won't be given automatically.  What I do expect is that you give Malfoy the opportunity to prove himself because everyone deserves at least one chance at redemption."</p><p>The tension in the room was palpable, but everyone knew he was right.  His gaze swept the crowd one more time then he indicated those standing beside him to sit.  As he slowly swept his arm from left to right, the lights dimmed and an illuminated duplicate of Hermione's board appeared behind him.  As he took his seat, Draco was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that the savior of the wizarding world just came to his defense when many would have said that the reception of the crowd was no more than he deserved.  Seeing Harry turn back to the department forced his mind back to the present.</p><p>"As of our latest information, most of the activity is still disappearances, with three having been recently changed to homicides."  Draco noticed that Harry glanced quickly at Hermione, who was staring sightlessly at her hands folded tightly in her lap.  "We will continue to search for the missing, but at this point we cannot be sure that we will find them at all, let alone alive."  He raised his arm and indicated the board behind him.  "We're compiling any available data to help us find any pattern to or link between these victims with the hope that we can find the missing and anticipate any possible future targets.  As always, we'll update everyone as often as we can.  If your patrols come across anything—even if it seems unimportant—let us know and we'll see how it plays out."  He gave a brisk nod.  "Good luck, everyone, and stay safe.  Dismissed."</p><p>Everyone rose and began to file out to their respective duties.  Harry brought the lights back up and Hermione sent the chairs she had just collapsed to their respective racks.  Turning to the rest of the group, he drew a deep breath and released it slowly.  Now that he was paying closer attention, Draco saw that he was pale and clearly agitated; something was amiss and it very likely had little to do with the scolding he just gave to his department.</p><p>"Right then.  Wyngate &amp; Matlock report to your squad captains so you can be briefed on your assignments.  You're both going out tonight and you need to be ready."</p><p>"Yes, sir," they responded in unison.</p><p>When they turned to go, Harry reached under his glasses and drew his fingers across his eyes until he was pinching the bridge of his nose.  Eyes still closed, he addressed Hermione.</p><p>"What was your plan for their schedule?"  She tipped her head slightly and gave him a slightly puzzled look.</p><p>"Training Room 2 for spell aptitude and physical eval, back here to start criminal theory and muggle interaction.  Why?"</p><p>He opened his eyes and looked at her with a tight, worried expression.</p><p>"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to scrap the bulk of that.  They'll be out on patrol tonight."</p><p>Draco and Melanie quickly looked at each other in confusion then back to Harry &amp; Hermione.  In the field when they only just walked through the door?  As Draco drew breath to question the change, Hermione objected first.</p><p>"Harry, you can't!  They aren't ready for--"</p><p>"I don't have a choice!" he said in strained voice.  They were quiet and waited as he looked away to compose himself.  When he faced them again, he looked at him directly with eyes full of certainty and deep sadness.</p><p>"Squad 4 didn't report in this morning," he said brokenly.  Hermione covered her mouth as her face drained of color.</p><p>"No one came back?  Not one?"  He shook his head.</p><p>"But maybe they were just delayed," Melanie said.  Harry shook his head again.</p><p>"We gave them an hour and then went to search for them--me, Kingsley, O'Brian &amp; Arthur.  They won't be coming back."</p><p>"You can't know that, Potter," protested Draco.</p><p>"I’m not expecting good news when the only thing I find of one of my squads is a broken wand still clutched in the severed hand of its captain."</p><p>Hermione strangled a sob and squeezed her eyes shut against her tears.  She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked at Harry with a stricken expression.</p><p>“We’ll stop it, ‘Mione.  If we can beat Voldemort, we can beat this, too.”  He gave her shoulder a squeeze.  “If I can arrange it, their training can resume tomorrow as planned, but right now I need them out there—no area can be left without a patrol.  I’m headed to Kingsley’s office now, but then I have other appointments throughout the building.  If you need me, let me know, okay?”</p><p>Hermione nodded as she dried her tears.  Looking at the others, worry written on his face, he said, “A few hours is damn short notice to throw you to the wolves, but do the best you can.  You’ll need to be ready for anything.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I loved the idea of Draco facing everyone even though he knew that Harry was likely the only one that wanted him there.  Stubbornness, pride and no small amount of courage propelling him to face people who had no reason to want anything to do with him may yet get him where he wants to be.  And, despite the larger matter that requires his attention, he still has time to ponder who Hermione was talking to. ;)</p><p>Thank you ever so much for taking the time to read my story.  I hope you continue to enjoy it as it unfolds!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>While Harry made his way to the Minister of Magic’s office, Hermione led Draco and Melanie to the next training room.  For the moment, they just followed her and awaited further direction whenever she was prepared to give it.  Clearly she was still trying to wrap her mind around the latest developments.</p><p>	Opening a door labeled ‘Magical Law Enforcement – Training Room 2’ she led the way into a massive space that was brightly lit and contained rows of fitness equipment.  Countless pieces of strange equipment Draco did not recognize were passed by in favor of a large, open area with a floor mat that extended to three padded walls.  Setting down her briefcase, she reached into it and removed a clipboard and pen.  Turning to face them, her features were back under control, but her eyes retained a haunted look.</p><p>	“We’re going to start with an evaluation of spell casting.  You have each been assigned a locker,” she handed them each a small silver key, “that contains clothes you can use for the gym.  Go ahead and change and then we’ll get started.”</p><p>	Draco found his locker easily enough and quickly changed out of his robes and suit.  Inside he found a black t-shirt with the ministry seal embossed on the back, matching sweatpants and basic athletic shoes.  As soon as he got the shirt on, he magically extended the sleeves before walking back to the mats.  Upon his approach, the women turned to face him.  Hermione’s brow creased slightly as he got closer.</p><p>	“Sorry about the mix up.  They were supposed to get you a regular t-shirt.”</p><p>	“That’s what they gave me, but I extended the sleeves,” he replied.  When she continued to look at him quizzically, he heaved a sigh and continued, “My position here is difficult enough as it is, Granger, so you’ll pardon me for not wanting to put the remainder of my dark mark out where everyone can see it.”</p><p>	She blushed slightly, annoyed that the thought had not occurred to her.  What she had been thinking was how good he looked in general, though, now that he was in regular light, she noted he seemed slightly ill; not unlike how he had looked in their sixth year, really.  Yanking her thoughts back to safer territory, she focused on the task at hand.</p><p>	“This test will cover several aspects of casting.  You will have fifteen minutes to hit as many of the targets as possible with as wide a variety of spells as you can manage.  Unforgivable Curses are off limits.  The targets will compile a list of which spells you use and how frequently as well as which targets are hit.  The more targets you hit, the faster they will appear and you will also begin to get more than one at a time.  You’re first, Castner.”</p><p>	Melanie walked to the center of the mats.  Taking a deep breath she raised her wand and waited.</p><p>	“Wand ready—begin!”</p><p>	Immediately, orbs began appearing at different heights and distances.  She did well at first, but began having difficulty as the speed and number of targets increased.  A loud buzzer sounded and Melanie walked back sweating and out of breath.  She threw Hermione a rueful smile.</p><p>	“That was harder than I thought it would be,” she said breathlessly.  Hermione smiled and looked at the paper that appeared on her clipboard.</p><p>	“You’re up, Malfoy.”</p><p>	Draco walked calmly to the center of the mats and waited for the signal.</p><p>	“Wand ready—begin!”</p><p>	It was instantly apparent that he was going to do well.  He spun, rolled and hexed without stopping, moving from one target to the next without stopping.  The buzzer sounded again and Draco came back breathing heavily as well, but confident that he had passed the test with flying colors.  A second paper appeared on the clipboard and she studied both of them for a minute.</p><p>	“Well done, Castner.  You did quite well, considering that your method of defense spared your attackers severe injury whenever possible.  If I remember correctly, your N.E.W.T.S. were healing oriented.”  She looked at Melanie for confirmation and received a nod.  “That’s commendable and not necessarily an issue as long as you work on casting your spells silently.  Not only do you lose speed but you advertise to your enemy what you’re going to do so they can counter it.  We’ll also work on how to keep a wider focus so you can react to more targets and be taken by surprise less.”  She turned to Draco.</p><p>	“Brilliant work.  By casting silently, you were able to maintain your speed and strike almost all the targets.  Movement with your upper body seemed a little stiff, but it does not appear to have slowed you down much.  Next thing to work on will be wandless casting.  It’s not a requirement like silent casting is, but it’s very useful if you can master it.”</p><p>	She looked briefly at her watch and then moved her briefcase toward women’s locker room and leaned it on the wall out of the way.  Carrying the clipboard she waved her hand to indicate that they walk in the direction of the equipment.</p><p>	“We have just over an hour before the lunch break starts.  I’ll run you through some of our standard fitness regimen to give me an idea of your strength and endurance.”</p><p>	Melanie frowned thoughtfully and observed, “I understand wanting to be fast and have good reflexes, but why focus on physical strength when we can use spells?”</p><p>	“We often have to interact with muggles and blend into their communities so we can’t always rely on our magic.  Regardless of where we are, we need to be able to defend ourselves.”</p><p>	“How often is training done?”  Draco asked.</p><p>	“Active squads train daily, most of them preferring to do so during their lunch hour so they can rest for a few hours before going out on patrol.  If they’re on a long assignment, they train when they can.  Reserve squad members have a twice a week minimum requirement, but they often choose to maintain the same schedule as the active squads.  Office personnel have access to the facility, but no fitness requirement.”</p><p>	She stopped in front of a row of stationary bikes.</p><p>	“Each of you choose one and we’ll get you started.”</p><p>	Melanie chose one and began adjusting the seat to allow for her shorter stature while Draco eyed them dubiously.</p><p>	“What, exactly, are these for?”</p><p>	“These are stationary bicycles.  You’ll be on them for ten minutes and they will automatically adjust to provide the resistance and incline based on how you are moving the pedals.  Since your arms were the driving force behind the last evaluation I opted to start this one with the lower body.”</p><p>	Having adjusted the seat to a comfortable height, Melanie took her place and began pedaling.  Draco had watched her a moment and then chose one for himself.  Finding no need to adjust the seat, he sat down and began moving the pedals.  A few minutes in, he discovered that it was not as easy as it looked.  His legs were beginning to burn and sweat began to glisten on his forehead.</p><p>	“Not like Quidditch, is it?”</p><p>	Draco glanced over to see Hermione leaning up against the wall watching him with a small smirk.  She looked quite polished with her hair coiled neatly and her ministry robes in perfect order.</p><p>	“Not much.  Though I guess it’s not like haunting a library, either,” he panted.</p><p>	“Agreed,” she said easily.  Watching Melanie, she noted that she was having an easier time than Draco.  Her spell casting needed a little work, but being muggle-born had clearly given her advantages in other areas.  She let them carry on in silence and then, looking at the time, decided to move them to the next task.</p><p>	“All right, times up,” she said.  “Next stop is the weight benches.”</p><p>	“How do we know how our skills compare to the other squad members?” Melanie asked as she and Draco began following her to the next aisle.</p><p>	“Evaluation scores are never passed out, whether it’s initial exams or reviews,” Hermione answered briskly.  “The only real comparison would be with the Squad Games.”</p><p>	“When are those held?” she asked.  As she began adjusting the weights, she asked, “Do you mind if I set this a little low?  I haven’t used these in a while.”</p><p>	Hermione glanced at the disks and gave a little smile and nod.  If 60 kilos was on the low end for her, Melanie would have no issues with strength.  “Typically we’d be prepping now, but the games aren’t a priority at the moment.  It’s a great way to showcase our improved skills without actually being in life threatening situations.  We use a mix of simulations and head-to-head competition—it’s quite fun, really.”</p><p>	Having watched Melanie adjust her weights, Draco meticulously followed suit and took his position on the bench.  He chose the same weight, though he knew he could typically lift more.  This was the most physical activity he’d had for a while and he was not sure how well this was going to go.  With both of them ready, Hermione started the timer for ten minutes and they began their reps.</p><p>	“How do the Squad Games work?” he asked.</p><p>	“All squads participate and are scored both individually and as a team.  Best member from each squad then competes against Harry or me to get the final standings.”</p><p>	“Why you and Potter?”  Hermione sighed and shrugged.  </p><p>        “We tried being only spectators, but the finalists kept asking us to spar and duel.  They seemed to think it was some sort of ultimate test.”  The buzzer sounded.  “Time’s up!  Over to the speed bags.”</p><p>	Melanie smiled mischievously.  “How do you and Director Potter usually fare in the games?”</p><p>	Hermione smiled a little and an answering sparkle lit her eyes.</p><p>	“We haven’t lost yet,” she said.  Draco caught her eye and she watched as a confident smile appeared on his face.</p><p>	“Challenge accepted, Granger.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hermione having both Draco &amp; Melanie training simultaneously was important to me.  Knowing that Hermione would be fair was a given, but there's just that hint of smugness as she watches a muggle born do a good job of holding her own against someone who, in her experience, is never shy about voicing his opinion about how he is superior.  You then have Draco (uncharacteristically) getting down to brass tacks and saying nothing whatever about his own abilities.  For her part, Melanie never compares herself to either one; she doesn't care who's what and she would be equally aware of both of their backgrounds.</p><p>Thanks a bunch for staying with the story!  Your time is very much appreciated!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>While putting the completed forms into their files, Hermione smiled.  She stacked the folders in the bin of papers that had to go to Harry and sat back in her chair.  Closing her eyes, she drew a deep breath.  They’ve done quite well, she thought.  A few things to work on, but each could more than hold their own.</p><p>	All of a sudden her thoughts were interrupted by a sharp crack.  She opened her eyes and listened intently.  Nothing happened for several long moments, but then she heard it again.  The sound reminded her of the smaller fireworks that George had come up with—a startling sound with a comparatively small fire hazard.  Puzzled, she got up and started to walk across her office.  A third crack sounded as she opened her door.  She looked at the startled, middle-aged witch at the secretary’s desk.</p><p>	“Where did that come from, Tessa?”</p><p>	“From Captain Malfoy’s office, ma’am,” she answered worriedly.  “I do hope he’s alright.”</p><p> </p><p>	<i>Merlin, that woman’s relentless</i>, Draco thought as he straddled a side chair in his office.  The pain radiating through him was nothing short of blinding.  After heading to the locker room to change, he had used the two vials of dittany he’d brought with him after he struggled out of the t-shirt, but he could feel the wounds oozing beneath his robes as the day wore on.  He needed to do something or he was going to be useless when the squad had to report..</p><p>	“Izzy, can you hear me?”  A sharp crack sounded and there stood a petite house elf with large amber eyes in a neat little maid’s dress.  Those eyes widened with concern when she saw the look of pain on his sweat-drenched face.</p><p>	“Master Draco!  What is you needing, sir?”</p><p>	“I’ll be alright, Izzy,” he said gently.  “I should have anticipated the kinds of tests in store for me today, but I miscalculated.  Could you please bring me the bottle of dittany from my room and the fire whiskey from the study?”</p><p>	“Yes, sir!  At once, sir!”  He smiled at her.</p><p>	“Thank you.  I’ll be here when you return.”  With another crack, she disapparated.</p><p>	Closing his eyes, he rested his forehead on his crossed arms and waited for her to reappear.  What a night this was going to be; nothing like trying to function when you feel like you’ve been trampled by a hippogriff.  The worst part was that the physical pain was not nearly as bad as…</p><p>	Crack!  Izzy reappeared with a bottle in each hand and worry in her eyes.</p><p>	“Master Draco, I is sorry for taking so long,” she squeaked as her ears drooped.  “The bottle of dittany was empty and I had to find another.”</p><p>	“It’s fine,” he soothed.  “Unfortunately, the shirt is stuck to my skin so I won’t be able to put it back on.  We’ll have to send it home and get another.”</p><p>	“Very well, sir.”  Setting the bottles on the desk, she walked around behind him.</p><p>	“This will hurt, sir, as the shirt pulls away.  I has no other way to get it off.”  Draco nodded his head to show that he understood so Izzy snapped her fingers and the shirt lifted away from his body and vanished.  He sucked in air quickly as it pulled free from the scabs, but otherwise made no sound.  Just then the door swung open and Hermione walked in.</p><p>	“I heard some loud cracks in here.  Are you al—,” she stopped in her tracks and just stared.</p><p>	“Close the door and lock it please, Izzy,” Draco said quietly.  Izzy did as she was asked as she came to stand between her master and the perceived intruder.  Never breaking eye contact with Hermione, he proceeded with introductions.</p><p>	“Izzy, this is Miss Hermione Granger, Assistant Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.  Granger, this is Isadora—Izzy for short—my house elf.”</p><p>	“Good afternoon, Isadora.”</p><p>	“Good afternoon, Miss.  You can call me Izzy, Miss.”</p><p>	Hermione gave a little smile and nodded to her before returning her attention to Draco.  He was pale and his eyes were bright with pain.  As she started to walk around him, she saw his back and gasped; it was crisscrossed with angry purplish-red welts, some of which had clearly bled earlier, clotted and just reopened.  Her eyes snapped to his.</p><p>	“How can I help?”</p><p>	“I don’t—”</p><p>	“Please don’t stand on pride, Malfoy,” she said worriedly.  “These need to be cleaned and tended to.”</p><p>	Tormented silver eyes met chocolate ones full of concern and held for several moments.  With a slight nod, he gave her permission to step in.  Noticing the bottles on the desk, she poured a glass of the fire whiskey and handed it to Draco silently.</p><p>	“Izzy,” she said quietly, “would you please fetch a basin of warm water, a washcloth and a towel so we can clean these?”  Izzy studied her quietly for a moment, then, after a nod from Draco, disapparated with another sharp crack.  Turning around she began to inspect the wounds more closely.  No one deserved this; she had to do what she could to help.</p><p>	“Where did you get these?”</p><p>	He had been expecting the question, but he was not prepared to answer it.</p><p>	“That’s not important.  The important part is that they never completely heal.  Using the dittany daily helps, but, as you can see, it’s not infallible.  The more active I am, the more they split.”</p><p>	Izzy startled them both by reappearing with her items.</p><p>	“Thank you so much,” Hermione said gratefully.  “Would you mind cleaning the wounds while I run to my office and fetch some things?”</p><p>	“Of course I can, Miss.”</p><p>	She lightly touched Draco’s shoulder and he felt as though he’d been tapped by lightening.</p><p>	“What have you tried to treat it with?” He snorted quietly.  </p><p>	“The shorter list would be what I haven’t tried, actually.  Potions are a passion of mine and I know a lot about poisons and antidotes, but I’ve gone through all the ingredients I have and have yet to find the correct combination.  Without knowing the cause it’s hard to come up with a remedy.”  </p><p>	She leaned in to take a closer look.  He closed his eyes briefly and focused on how good it felt to have her breath on his skin.  She frowned as her expression became distant and thoughtful.</p><p>	“Maybe we don’t need the exact cause; maybe the results are enough.  I wonder…” she mused. Slowly straightening, she continued to think out loud.  “If I’m right, this is very old magic…very dark magic…definitely worth a try, though…”</p><p>	Just as he was about to ask what she was prattling about, she spun on her heel, waved her hand to unlock the door and marched quickly from the office, very clearly on a mission.  In a few minutes, she returned with a basket full of supplies on her arm.  He eyed the bottles dubiously.</p><p>	“What are you going to do with all that?” he asked warily.</p><p>	“Try to heal you,” she replied absently as she started measuring out different liquids and adding them to a large bowl.</p><p>	“Oh, Miss, can you heal these?  We would be so thankful, indeed we would.  Nothing has worked, no matter what we tried!”  The little elf was clearly distraught so Hermione tried to calm her without making a careless promise.</p><p>	“I’ll definitely try, Izzy.”</p><p>	“There can’t be much out there left to try,” he observed.</p><p>	“If you tried everything you could get your hands on, bezoars were likely on that list, which tells me that this is not a common poison.  That’s a fairly short list of both finished poisons and potion ingredients.  Add to that the fact that this is acting as both a corrosive and anti-coagulant and that list becomes still shorter.  Not much will work on that kind of result, but I have a few special items at my disposal that might make all the difference.”</p><p>	She picked up a very small bottle with a dropper in the top.  Drawing a small amount into the pipette, she counted three drops into the bowl and the mixture that had been opalescent purple became crystal clear.  Reaching into the basket, she removed a large piece of cotton linen.  After unfolding it, she placed it into the bowl and walked around to kneel in front of him.  Placing a hand on his arm, she stared seriously into his eyes.</p><p>	“This will not be pleasant, but it should help,” she said softly.  “Will you trust me?”</p><p>	He stared mutely back at her.  There was conflict mixed with the pain in his eyes.  They had no friendship, no positive history to stand on—she was asking a lot and she knew it.  Slowly, very slowly, he touched her cheek gently and nodded once.  She stood and walked back to the bowl, gently picking up the piece of linen.</p><p>	“Better brace yourself,” she said quietly.</p><p>	Just as he gripped the chair and bent his head, she laid the fabric across his skin and it was all he could do not to scream.  His skin hissed and steamed, his breath coming in shallow pants as he grappled with the pain.  Hurriedly she knelt in front of him and gripped his hand with her own, distressed that she was causing more pain.</p><p>	“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.</p><p>	Slowly the reaction ceased and his breathing began to even out.  Releasing his hand, she walked around to remove the linen, which now had black lines that mirrored the marks on his skin.  The scars were still there, but they were closed now and closer to his usual pale skin color.</p><p>	“You has done it, Miss!” Izzy squeaked happily.</p><p>	Draco raised a pale, sweat-sheened face to look at her with grateful eyes.</p><p>	“Thank you,” he whispered.</p><p>	“You’re welcome,” she said softly.  Turning to the house elf, she said, “Izzy, will you please take Malfoy home?  He needs to rest.”  Draco started to push himself out of the chair.</p><p>	“I can’t!  I have to—”</p><p>	“You can report back here in a few hours; you’ll be useless without rest.  The patrols won’t change until eight o’clock so you have plenty of time.  Go ahead, Izzy.”</p><p>	Before he could protest further, Izzy laid her hand on his forearm and disapparated.  After collecting her supplies, she walked back to her office trying to gather her emotions.  She failed.</p><p>	All the convoluted feelings from years ago had come back in a rush.  He made her heart race, but could she trust him?  She could still hear his voice calling her a ‘filthy mud-blood’, but was that truly what he thought of her?  Before today she would have said yes to that in a heartbeat, but yet he trusted her with so much just now, touched her with such gentleness, that she had to acknowledge that Harry might be right about him.</p><p>	Not for the first time, she found herself wondering what he had endured.  Clearly his experiences were infinitely more harrowing than anyone knew.  She paused in putting away the little bottle of phoenix tears and her brow deeply creased in thought.  Who could have hated him so much that they beat him with a whip laced with poison made from basilisk venom?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>However much Hermione suspected that Draco might have had a harder time than they were aware of, she was not expecting this.  In addition to what she thinks of him these days she now begins to wonder if his life was really as charmed as she had assumed it was.  How close is she prepared to get to find out remains to be seen.</p><p>Thanks a bunch for reading!  You are really appreciated!</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Draco stepped out of his office fireplace about seven o’clock feeling better than he had in a long time.  Granted, the scars were still there and he still ached, but it was far better than constant searing pain and the threat of imminent bleeding.  He would take whatever victories he could get.</p><p>	Stepping into the hall, the department looked deserted.  Seeing Hermione’s door ajar, he walked over and pushed it open as he knocked on the doorway.  When she turned in response to the sound, he could see she had been crying and his brows snapped down in concern.</p><p>	“What happened?” he asked as he walked to her desk.</p><p>	A sob escaped her and she grabbed a tissue to blow her nose.  Waving her arm, she brought up her board again.  This time, he counted nine new pictures under the ‘Deceased’ heading.</p><p>	“Merlin’s Beard!” he breathed.  “Who are all these people?  The missing squad?”  She squeezed her eyes shut and drew a shaky breath. </p><p>“The last four are.  Some of them were only missing this morning,” she said softly.  He continued to look at the board, feeling sick.  “I had really, really been hoping that Harry was wrong.”</p><p>	“No one survived?”  Another choked sob as she shook her head.</p><p>“Only four to a squad,” she said brokenly.</p><p>Hearing footsteps approaching, they looked up to see Harry walk in.  Draco didn’t think it was possible for him to look worse than he had that morning but he had clearly been mistaken.  His robes were in perfect order, but shadowed, haunted eyes set in a pale face hinted at the emotional strain he was operating under.</p><p>“Malfoy,” he acknowledged quietly.  Draco nodded in response as Harry drew a deep breath and sat down heavily.  Turning to Hermione, he said, “Everything’s in order and the arrangements are being made.”  He tipped his head back and began to think out loud.</p><p>“There has to be a <i>pattern</i>!  There has to be something to <i>trace</i>!” he said fiercely, running his hand through his hair.  Beyond agitated, he jumped to his feet and began to pace.  “Whatever these sick bastards are playing at has to have a <i>goal</i>, something they hope to <i>accomplish </i>.  We need to figure out how everything is connected, how they operate.”</p><p>“So far the information collected shows that the victims are both muggle and magical, cover a variety of professions and come from different financial backgrounds,” Hermione said, as she composed herself.  Harry concentrated on the information before them.</p><p>         “In addition to the observation that the incidents are in the same general location, it’s worth noting that the timing of the attacks does not appear to follow a pattern.  They are all attacked at different times of day.  It would indicate not only that the choice of victims is specific, but that they are observed for a time rather than attacked immediately and that there has been no disruption to their routine; they were going about their daily lives.”</p><p>         “Okay, then,” Hermione said decisively, “let’s get these observations written down so we can present them to the rest of the captains.”  She pulled out a piece of parchment and pen to take notes.</p><p>         "Whoever these people are, they have extensive knowledge of the victims,” she recapped.  “To get that knowledge they have to observe them for an extended period of time, though we don’t know how long or if it’s the same person doing the observing.  We’ve not received any reports of people disappearing and reappearing at intervals, therefore either the people we’re hunting are independently wealthy or have a position with flexible hours so their activities go unnoticed.”</p><p>         “Why do you say so?” Draco asked.</p><p>“Because food, lodging, supplies and hired thugs all require money, and a considerable amount at that.  Since there hasn’t been a string of robberies, they have to have a source—a reliable source—of capital.  People with that kind of money rarely do their own dirty work so whoever they’re paying is either complete scum and not noticed at all or an unassuming person doing sleazy work on the side in a way they would not draw attention to themselves.”</p><p>“You said the victims are both muggle and magical… How many of the muggles have ties to the wizarding world?”  Harry asked.</p><p>“That’s not information I have right now, but I’ll start searching tomorrow,” Hermione answered as she finished off her notes.  She glanced around for Draco and saw him spreading the files out on the floor in groups.</p><p>“I have a desk, you know.”</p><p>“Too small,” he answered distractedly.</p><p>“Have you noticed something?” Harry asked.</p><p>“Possibly,” Draco muttered thoughtfully.  He pointed to the files he had laid out on his left.  “Out of the victims whose bodies were recovered, these were all mutilated in some way—cut up or pieces cut away entirely.  These,” he indicated a smaller group on the right, “were exposed to fire if not burned entirely.  Lastly, there are these,” holding up the six files in his hand, “which had both.”  He stared into space as he thought out loud.</p><p>“If we assume that everything is connected—and I don’t see how it can’t be—then there are two people or groups of people working toward the same goal with whatever method appeals to them the most.  Usually they work independently.  Unfortunately for them, the squad stumbled on something that caught both these factions off guard and, taking no chances, they eliminated the immediate threat as a team so both methods were used.  Next questions to ask would be what did they find and where.”</p><p>“Where did you find Chloe’s hand, Harry?” Hermione asked quietly.</p><p>“In the back lot of a warehouse on Weighouse &amp; Gilbert.”</p><p>Draco gave him a puzzled look.</p><p>“How did you know to look there?”</p><p>“Every squad captain is given a ring that’s charmed so it can be traced.  If a team goes missing, you typically find the entire squad when you find the captain.  Not this time.”</p><p>“Where were the rest of the squad’s remains found?”</p><p>“Arranged around the Joy of Life Fountain.  Killers were probably trying to make a point.”</p><p>Hermione tapped her pen against her upper lip, deep in thought.</p><p>“You know,” she said slowly, “we’ve got to consider the possibility that the squad got too close to where they were watching their next victims.  None of the other patrols had trouble of any kind or saw anything unusual.”  She checked her watch and began to gather the files up, being careful to keep them in their current groupings.</p><p>“We’ll need to continue this tomorrow.  It’s about time for the patrols to change and we’ll need to leave soon.”  </p><p>“Who’s making up the rest of the squad?”</p><p>“You, Melanie, Darrin &amp; I will be taking the territory that Squad 4 had.  We start by Kings College and move up to Holborn Station before we start moving back and forth going west until we hit the Notting Hill Gate Underground.  We never go further south than Cromwell Road.”</p><p>“Please tell me we aren’t walking.  We’ll never be efficient trying to cover that on foot.”</p><p>“Combination of apparating and walking so we should be fine,” Hermione said as she locked the files away.</p><p>“I’m for home,” Harry said wearily.  He turned to Hermione.  “Do you have your chain?”  She nodded as she hung up her ministry robes.</p><p>“Always.  Hopefully, I’ll not need it.”</p><p>Harry gave Hermione a hug and looked at both of them in turn.</p><p>“Please be safe.”</p><p>They nodded and he left.  Hermione watched him go with a worried expression.  Upon hearing the brief roar of his fireplace, she began methodically locking and warding her desk and cabinets.  Draco just stood back and watched her move—precise, yet graceful.  It was the first time he’d seen her without her ministry robes, but he’d been surprised that she had some of the plainest, most shapeless clothes on beneath them that she could possibly find.</p><p>“Are you trying to look homeless?” he asked seriously.</p><p>“Close.  I want to attract as little attention as possible.”</p><p>“Oh.  Should I change?”</p><p>She turned and studied him a moment.</p><p>“Take off your robes, obviously, but then you should be fine.  When on foot we won’t necessarily be next to each other so we won’t have to match.”</p><p>A noise from her pocket caught her attention as she locked her office.  They started walking down the hallway as she rapidly tapped the screen with her thumbs.  It buzzed again a few minutes later and she gave a small chuckle as she looked at the screen.  Shaking her head and smiling, she tucked the device back in her pocket.</p><p>“Good news?” Draco asked.  He was trying to appear only mildly interested, but he would give a fortune to know who she had been in contact with.  Was she seeing someone?  Trying to reign in his emotions, he focused on what she was saying.</p><p>“Not news at all, really; just an invitation.  Had to decline, though, since I’m going on patrol tonight.”</p><p>Invitation to what?, he wondered.  Aloud he asked, “Does work often interfere with your plans?”</p><p>“Not typically.  As a rule I can work my schedule to accommodate anything I need to.”</p><p>He would have continued his questions, but they had arrived at the main lobby where Melanie and Darrin were waiting for them.  <i>Time to see what’s out there</i>, Draco thought.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ginny quietly sifted through her thoughts while she waited for Harry to finish in the shower.  What a night!  She had just been getting ready to leave for his office when he walked through the door.  All thought of blasting him for making her worry left as soon as she saw his face.  He had stopped and stared at her with turbulent, unreadable eyes for a moment before closing the distance between them and pulling her close.  Hugging him back just as fiercely, she felt more than heard the first sob escape him.  With halting words he told her about the five disappearances that were now homicides on the heels of losing an entire squad that morning and having to break the news to their families.  Then having to send everyone out again tonight to face Merlin knew what was out there and hope that they came back.</p><p>	When he was able to compose himself, she walked hand in hand with him to the kitchen.  Kreacher had just finished setting out his dinner as they walked in.  He complimented Kreacher on the food, in particular the treacle tart, which was his favorite.  While he had thanked him profusely for the praise, Kreacher paused and turned concerned eyes to him and seemed to think out loud.</p><p>	“Master has not been sleeping well, no.  It shows in his face, it does.  Worries; worries about everyone.”  Speaking directly to Harry, he asked, “Does the Master require anything more?”</p><p>	“No, but thank you for asking, Kreacher,” Harry responded wearily.  “I’m going to shower and try to rest; I can’t think any more right now.  By the way, Kreacher, the front hall looks brilliant.  Was there anything from there that you wanted for your room before it gets taken to the attic?”</p><p>	A wide smile crossed the elf’s face and Ginny smiled, too.  Since giving Kreacher the locket a few years ago, the elderly house elf began not only behaving as a normal house elf would, but his relationship with Harry had improved.  Open animosity had slowly evolved into a respectful coexistence.  When Harry had officially taken up residence at Grimmauld Place after the war, he had given Regulus’ old room to Kreacher and that simple kindness—not only giving Kreacher proper quarters but those of the master he had been so devoted to—resulted in total dedication to Harry.</p><p>	“Kreacher will take the umbrella stand, sir.  Master Regulus loved to play with it, was very fond of hiding his treasure in it.  Kreacher shall use it for his own treasures now.”  Harry nodded.</p><p>	“It will be a great piece for your room.  Please let me know if there is anything else you would like.”</p><p>	“Thank you, sir!” said the elf as he bowed low.  He stood and with a sharp crack apparated away.</p><p>        Ginny walked behind Harry and placed a gentle kiss on the top of his head.  He covered her hand with his and sat for a moment, at peace in her presence.  Standing up from the table, he moved his dishes to the sink and returned to wrap her in a long embrace.  Giving her a lingering kiss, he then rested his forehead against hers and softly said, “Let’s go upstairs.”</p><p>        Too tired to walk the stairs to the top floor, they apparated up and Harry headed to the bathroom to shower.  While she changed into her nightclothes, she decided that she would still tell him.</p><p>        She looked up as he came into the room still towel drying his hair and she had to smile.  Biased though she undoubtedly was, her husband had a <i>great</i> body.  He had never been heavy or out of shape—Quidditch and genetics had seen to that.  But ever since he and Hermione had started following their own fitness regimen as squad captains he had the body of a male model.  Even though he was now the head of the department he continued to train and he had even taught her, which helped her to become one of the most valuable, versatile players on the Harpy’s roster.  She got up and walked over to him, placing her hands on his bare chest and smiling up at him.  Leaning into him, she gave him a long, slow kiss and sighed softly as hands slid to her hips.  Breaking the kiss, he cupped her face with his hand and rubbed his thumb gently across her cheek.</p><p>        “Are you feeling better?” he asked quietly.</p><p>        Ginny smiled.  He was always so concerned for her.</p><p>        “Yes, thanks,” she answered.  “Kreacher and I worked on the house all morning and then I ran out for some errands.  Just overdid it, I think.”  He looked deeply into her eyes, his brow furrowing with concern.</p><p>        “It’s not typically something that would bother you.  If it happens again you need to see a healer.”</p><p>        “I went to see one today, actually.”  She could see his concern begin to shift to alarm.</p><p>        “Are you alright?” he asked.</p><p>        She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him fiercely.  It was very telling that the first thing that he thought of was the possibility that she was seriously ill.  So much of his life in the wizarding world involved people getting injured or dying that he automatically leapt to the worst conclusion.  She released him and held each of his hands in hers.</p><p>        “I’m perfectly fine,” she soothed.  “Better than fine, if you want to know the truth.”  Now grinning widely, she looked at him with sparkling eyes.  “Harry, I’m pregnant.”</p><p>        She laughed happily as he watched the emotions flash across his face.  The concern replaced briefly by confusion then followed rapidly by disbelief and then joy.  The kind of joy she had not seen on his face much at all the last several months.  He picked her up and spun her around while they laughed happily, reveling in the moment.  Setting her feet gently on the floor, he answered her broad smile with one of his own.</p><p>        “When will the baby get here?”</p><p>        “It’s still <i>very</i> early, but it looks like October.”  He reached up and brushed her hair back from her face.</p><p>        “This is wonderful, Ginny.  Beyond wonderful.  I can’t say enough about how amazing this is.”</p><p>         She stepped closer to him and rested her hands on his hips, brushing her mouth lightly on his.  Harry held her close with one arm got his other hand caught in her hair, tilting her head gently to one side to slowly deepen the kiss.  She ran her hands across his bare chest and he moaned slightly, ending the kiss in favor of nibbling his way down her neck.  Upon reaching the collar of her nightshirt, he growled slightly in frustration.</p><p>         “You have entirely too many clothes on,” he mumbled against her skin.</p><p>         She chuckled softly as he slowly ran his hands up her sides, taking her shirt with them.  Gently pulling it over her head, he then let it fall to the floor.  He never got tired of looking at her, touching her.  She filled his heart and his thoughts as nothing else ever had.  He could not imagine being with anyone else, loving anyone else.  Pulling her close again, he gloried in how she felt against his skin and smiled at her contented sigh.</p><p>         “Is this better?” she asked softly.</p><p>         “A little,” he answered.  “Still have more to go, though.”</p><p>         With that, he eased her back on the bed and began to slide his hands over her hips, his eyes never leaving hers.  When the shorts had joined her shirt on the floor, she sat on the edge and touched him back.  Skimming her fingers up his back she lightly drug her nails back down while pressing a kiss to his chest.  He tipped her face up, bent down and kissed her hungrily, pressing her backward until she was lying with her legs over the edge of the bed.  Moaning her annoyance when he broke the kiss, she quickly changed her tune when he pulled one of her nipples into his mouth.</p><p>   <i>Please</i>, he thought, <i>let me keep the world outside.  Let nothing happen tonight.</i></p><p> </p><p>   <i>Please</i>, Draco thought, <i>let nothing happen tonight.</i></p><p>        All four of them had appeared in slightly different spots at the college to avoid attracting attention.  Just within eyesight of each other, they began to make their way through the streets looking for anything out of the ordinary.  There was a very good chance that the ones they were after had moved on, but they had to see if anything had been left behind that could help them.</p><p>        He heard the gentle rustle to his left and knew that Melanie &amp; Darrin had just used the portkey to transport to The Hoxton, where they would begin working their way back toward the Strand.  He and Hermione were to continue up the Strand <br/>Underpass and the pairs would continue this crisscross pattern but never be more than one block apart so they could be sure to see distress sparks should any be fired.</p><p>        Draco nonchalantly stood next to Hermione in front of the Peacock Theatre feigning interest in a poster for an upcoming production.</p><p>        “Is there anything particular we’re supposed to be looking for?”</p><p>        Without turning to look at him, she replied quietly, “Anything that might indicate the use of spells or magical items.  People trying not to be seen.”</p><p>        Draco nodded slightly and continued at a leisurely pace down the street.  While not having moonlight helped give them cover, they also had limited visibility.  Deciding that it would be more productive, he crossed to the other side of the street to cover as much area as possible.  Despite the distance, he kept a covert eye on her as they progressed and tried to sort through his feelings even as he searched.</p><p>        What did she think of him?  He’d never given her any reason to feel anything but loathing for him, and yet when he was in pain she was willing to do what she could on the chance it could help him.  She looked like she could have spat nails when she learned he was working at the ministry but was sincerely distressed when her potion had caused him such pain.  Did he matter to her at all or was it just in her nature to help someone no matter who was hurting?</p><p>        He paused briefly to look into a palm-sized foe glass and then glance in her direction.  Looking at her now he couldn’t help but contrast how she looked in this moment to that of her entrance to the Yule Ball their fourth year.  Being on the arm of Viktor Krum had been only mildly shocking compared to the staggering difference in her appearance.  He could still see her in the periwinkle dress robes she had worn.  It was the first time he had looked at her and seen something more than the witch he had sneered at.  She had stunned him.  Over the years, he sneered at her less and less as she haunted his thoughts more and more.  So much so that she became linked to the lines of the poem he came across his sixth year.  He sighed and tried to focus on the task at hand.</p><p>        They were searching high and low, but, as the patrol wore on, he began to despair of learning anything.  They met with Melanie and Darrin in the shadows of Covent Garden to learn that they had not seen anything of note either.  When they had again split up, Draco laid a hand on Hermione’s forearm to stop her from continuing.</p><p>        “We’re not getting anywhere.  We need to change what we’re doing,” he insisted quietly.  Hermione faced him with fire in her eyes.</p><p>        “Patrolling on a grid is the most efficient way to cover the area and collect information we can analyze.”  Draco shook his head.</p><p>        “It’s not, actually.  Not unless we’re making a case study of all the nooks and crannies of this part of the city.  We need to look for people who are actively intending to use magic to harm rather than look for traces of where they’ve been.”</p><p>        “Then what do you suggest?” she whispered fiercely.</p><p>        He stretched out his wand and closed his eyes briefly.  Hermione then heard the gentle whoosh of something moving through the air.  Turning, she saw a broomstick glide gently into Draco’s hand.</p><p>        “You’re not serious,” she said in hushed tones.  “You’ll never see anything well from a broom, especially on a night like this.”</p><p>        “Two things, Granger,” he said firmly, “the first is not to underestimate my eyesight—I’m a seeker for a reason.  Secondly, I’m not planning on looking with my eyes.”  He swung his leg over the broom and looked at her with a determined stare.  “I’m going to reach out with my mind and find them.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi, everyone!  My apologies for the delay in posting the next chapters--life has been ridiculous!</p><p>I like the notion of Harry and Ginny living as Grimmauld Place and that Kreacher is tottering about in much the same manner as when Harry had given him the locket in the book.  Knowing that giving Kreacher clothes would most definitely have crushed him, I wanted Harry and Ginny to have found a way to work around Kreacher's magic so they could markedly improve his life without distressing him as Winky had been.</p><p>Also love getting the chance to have Draco and Hermione knock heads a bit; each one bright and each one very stubborn!  The notion of Draco being born a legilimens is one that fascinated me and I wanted to introduce.  It doesn't just add to the possibilities of his potential but also his emotional baggage and I want to explore where that goes.</p><p>Thank you for reading and I hope you continue to enjoy the story!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For the briefest of moments she stared at him in stunned disbelief.  When she found her voice again it was all she could do not to yell at him in frustration.</p><p>	“You’re mental!” she said in hushed, yet fiery, tones.  “Even if you would be able to maintain control of the broom while you used the spell, you’d have to focus on individuals one at a time without being noticed while travelling quickly at great enough height so you couldn’t be seen.  It’s impossible!”</p><p>	He let out a great sigh and closed his eyes, as if praying for patience.</p><p>	“Get on the broom, Granger,” he said with forced calm.</p><p>	“I’m not—” she began hotly.</p><p>	“We’re losing time and we don’t have any to spare,” he whispered bluntly.  “You’re going because we need to stay together.  I’ll explain the rest in the air now get on.”</p><p>	Looking around to be sure that they had not attracted attention and eyeing the broom with great trepidation, Hermione swung into place behind Draco.  He immediately turned and tapped her head with his wand and she had the sensation of having a raw egg cracked over her head.  Reaching up, he repeated the action to cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself as well.  While tucking hi swand back in his sleeve holster he gave silent thanks that there wasn’t any fog or rain so they wouldn’t stand out.</p><p>	“Hang on,” he said quietly.  She quickly fumbled in front of her and clasped her hands at his waist just as he kicked off.  Closing her eyes, she tried to get her stampeding nerves under control.  <i>Merlin, I hate flying,</i> she thought.</p><p>	“So,” he continued, “I don’t need to concentrate on the spell because I am a Legilimens; it comes naturally.  In this case I’m looking for powerful negative emotions and that should be aided by the fact that it’s the middle of the night and there aren’t too many people milling about at this hour.  Since time and space matter, the distance will help conceal that I am reading those emotions so, hopefully, when I find a person of interest they won’t know I’m there.”</p><p>	Hermione digested that.  Legilimancy was an area where her knowledge was limited as she had focused more on sealing her mind than using the spell to probe those of others.  Harry having told her and Ron about his Occlumency lessons with Snape gave her the impression that each was a skill that required both the incantation and close proximity.  She had not considered that there could be different degrees a person could explore another’s mind; she looked at it more as an all or nothing scenario.</p><p>	Since all she could do was wait until something caught his attention, she asked, “Did Voldemort find it useful that you’re a Legilimens?”  She felt him stiffen at the question and there was an edge to his voice as he answered.</p><p>        “He never knew.  I never made a habit of randomly traipsing through people’s heads—on the contrary I use it as little possible—but there was always the fear that, if Voldemort were to return, he would target me if he even suspected I could read him.  Mother took great pains to teach me Occulmency at a very early age.  I needed to be able to keep my mind to myself.”</p><p>As they continued, she noticed that he was still following the pattern that they would have been using on foot, but they could cover ground more quickly.  Too bad more of the teams can’t use this method, she mused.  </p><p>	Suddenly he brought the broom up short and began to hover.  Slowly, he descended to the top of Carlton Court Apartments where they lightly touched down.  As she began to lift her hands, he reached across his body and covered her left hand with his right.  Changing his grip, he gently pulled her forward to stand close behind him.</p><p>	“I’m going to set the broom straight down,” he whispered.  “As soon as we’re ducked down along the edge of the roof I’ll lift the charm.”</p><p>	With more than a tinge of regret, he released her and quietly lowered the broom.  Since she couldn’t see him, she followed his muffled footsteps until they were in the shadows along the front edge of the roof.  Suddenly she could see the faint outline of Draco appear in front of her.</p><p>	“Where are you?” he asked softly.</p><p>	She grasped his wrist and guided his wand to rest on the top of her head.</p><p>	“Go ahead,” she answered.</p><p>	He tapped gently and a pleasant, warm feeling slowly oozed down her body and she reappeared as well.</p><p>	“We need to look around here,” he said quietly.  “There’s too much rage in this area for it to be just one person having a bad day or a couple having an argument.  It’s a group of people and they’re furious.”</p><p>	“Could you tell how many or precisely where they are?”</p><p>	“Not without making them aware of my presence.  I’m not even sure that they’re wizards, but it’s too big a coincidence for this level of emotion this close to where the remains were found.  We need to see if we can find any traces of magic in this area and that will tell us which building we should check out.  Can we reach the others?”</p><p>	“Not without magic.  We followed our share of the route, but using the broom put us much further ahead so, even allowing for them apparating at certain points, they won’t catch up to us for a bit yet.”</p><p>	They were silent for a moment, both of them knowing that they couldn’t risk more magic lest it attract attention or trigger some kind of warning system.  For all they knew they had already done so.  If that were the case, they did not want to risk any more lives than their own.</p><p>	“Right.  Well, then I guess it’s just us.  If for some reason we don’t make the next check point they’ll send for help and come looking.”  When she didn’t respond right away, he touched her shoulder gently.  “Are you ready?”</p><p>	She looked at him for a moment, then reached inside her collar and pulled out a chain that held a small object.  Holding it in her hand a moment, she closed her eyes and released a slow breath.</p><p>	“Let’s go,” she whispered.</p><p> </p><p>	A few miles away, Harry held Ginny to him as she slept and marveled at this new path their lives were taking.  He was going to be a father and he found the fact simultaneously mind-numbing and thrilling.  Moving his hand gently across her still-flat stomach, he found himself wondering when her body would start changing, when he would be able to feel the baby move.</p><p>        Suddenly his train of thought was interrupted as the pendant around his neck grew warm.  This can’t be good, he thought.  Moving slowly, he rose from the bed and picked his glasses up from the nightstand.  Quietly making his way to the bathroom, he flipped on the light and looked at the face of the pendant, where he saw a tiny message: <i>C Court Apts – Clue.</i></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm sorry this is such a short chapter!  I stop them when it "feels" like the end of a chapter rather than at a certain word count, but I promise they will be longer in the future.  Thank so very much for continuing to follow the story!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As she tucked the chain back in her shirt, she heard soft footsteps and snapped her attention to Draco, who was picking his way along the roof to the access stair.  She hurried after them as quietly as she could.</p><p>	“You might’ve given me a second,” she hissed quietly.</p><p>	“Didn’t have a second,” he whispered in annoyance, “whoever they are, they are getting harder to sense so they are likely leaving or they know they’ve been made and are closing their minds.”  Trying the door, he found it locked and risked giving them away by using alohamora to get them through.  Making their way to the floor below quickly, they eased into the hallway and looked for any sign of a guard as they made their way to the next set of stairs.  For a place that was typically busy, the floor was eerily silent.</p><p>	“I don’t like this at all,” Draco said in a soft, tense voice.  Hermione pulled out her foe glass as they went.</p><p>	“Spidey-senses tingling are they?” she said with a smirk.  To her dismay, the forms in the foe glass were clearer now, but she wasn’t sure how close their enemies were.</p><p>	“What?” he said in confusion.  She chuckled softly.</p><p>	“Comic book reference to – DUCK!!”  She slammed him to the ground as a spell flew past their heads.  Rolling in opposite directions they each threw up a shield charm and jumped to their feet ready to fight just in time to see a shadowy shape hurtle down the stairs.</p><p>	“Like hell,” Draco growled as he took off in pursuit.</p><p>	“Wait!” Hermione cried.  So focused on following them, she did not see the stunning spell coming.  As soon as she hit the floor, a door opened slowly and two more cloaked figures emerged, each holding a wand.  The shorter one raised his as if to strike, but was stopped by his companion.</p><p>	“We can’t risk it.  It’s too soon after those ministry muggle-lovers were found to leave another body lying about.”</p><p>	“But she’s a primary target!  It would be so easy to take her out now!”  The taller man sighed in frustration.</p><p>	“And if we do we’ll lose our chance at the rest of that filth!  I tell you it’s not worth it.  Now help me gather this equipment so we can get out before anyone else shows up.”  Convinced he made his point, he turned on his heel and went back into the dimly lit room.</p><p>	Rigid with anger the other man started to follow suit, but then stopped as a maniacal smile lit his face beneath his hood.  He chuckled to himself and slowly raised his wand again.</p><p>	“Maybe I can’t off you now as I’d like,” he said with a quiet sneer, “but I can leave you with a little taste of what’s to come.”</p><p> </p><p>	Draco hurtled down the stairs.  Rounding the landing, he fired a disarming spell and was grazed by another spell in answer.  Gritting his teeth he maintained his speed and then flung himself over the railing sending another disarming spell as he went.  Not expecting such a move, this time his spell found its mark and when his opponent lost his wand, Draco summoned it before it could be retrieved.</p><p>	“Right, then,” Draco panted, leveling his wand at their attacker, “who the devil are you and—”</p><p>	Just then he heard the sound of a cork being unstoppered and the figure’s left hand snapped to their face.  After giving a brief cough, it collapsed in a heap.  Rushing forward, Draco knelt to see what could be done to stop the effects of what he was certain was poison, only to whip back the hood to a gray complexion and sightless, glassy eyes.  Eyes that he recognized.</p><p>	“Granger, this is—” then he looked up for the first time and saw that he was alone.  Panic ripped through him like hundred razor blades.  Grabbing the dead man’s wrist he apparated back to the top floor and was instantly greeted by the smell of burnt flesh.  His gaze went immediately to the motionless figure on the floor.  Sweeping his wand down the hall he put sticking charms on all the doors then, closing the distance between them, he pointed his wand at her and thought “rennervate”.</p><p>	With a gasp of pain and a look of terror on her face, Hermione whipped her wand up but Draco grabbed her wrist.</p><p>	“It’s okay!  It’s okay now!  They’re gone—it’s only me,” he said as calmly as he could manage.  She looked at his face a moment, then began to sob and shake uncontrollably.  To help counter her shock, Draco pulled her to a sitting position and held her tightly.  <i>Whoever did this is going to be very, very sorry,</i> he vowed silently.</p><p>	“Izzy!” he yelled.  A crack sounded and the little house elf appeared at his elbow.</p><p>	“Master Draco, sir!  What is happening, sir?”</p><p>	“I’m sorry I can’t explain right now, Izzy, but I need you to get Miss Granger to the infirmary back at the ministry.  Her leg needs attention.”</p><p>	“Yes, sir!  At once!”  Gently taking hold of Hermione’s wrist, she disapparated without another word.</p><p>	Moving swiftly to the window at the end of the hall, Draco opened it, leaned out and fired red sparks into the air.  Almost instantly two people appeared on the sidewalk below.  He illuminated his wand to get their attention and suddenly there were two more people in the hall behind him.</p><p>	“Where the bloody hell have you been?!” Darrin raged.  “We were just about to reach out to the director when we saw your signal.  What were you thinking?!”  Draco drew breath to answer when Melanie looked at him with a panicked expression.</p><p>	“Where’s Assistant Director Granger?”  Darrin looked around at that and then made to raise his wand at Draco’s chest, but he wasn’t fast enough.  Draco pointed his wand first and thought “petrificus totalus” and watched as Darrin snapped to attention.  Much as he would have liked to see him land on his face, he redirected him as he fell so he stood propped on the wall.  </p><p>	“Nip it, Creswell, and pay attention!” he snapped.  “We located suspicious activity in the building but got ambushed.  This arse fired at us and I gave chase assuming Granger was behind me.  She wasn’t.  When I realized she was missing I apparated back here to find her stunned and badly injured.  I asked my house elf to get her to the infirmary so I could send up the signal and get some help here.”  He waved his wand at Darrin as he thought “reparifors” and held him up as the body bind was removed.</p><p>	“Now if you’ve finished jumping to conclusions,” he said acidly, “we need to get some things taken care of.  Creswell get this scum back to the morgue; let’s see what they can tell us.  Castner, we need to see if anything was left behind that will help us find them or tip us off on their next victim.  Hopefully the former rather than the latter.”</p><p>	They nodded and began their tasks.  Darrin vanished immediately.  Draco unstuck the doors while Melanie removed the scorch marks from the carpet and used a simple charm to remove the charred scent from the air.  Draco stood and contemplated for a moment.  Allowing for the way that Hermione had been laying on the floor, he calculated an approximate angle from where the spell was likely to have come from and chose an apartment a few doors back from where he’d found her.</p><p>	Magically turning the lock, he cautiously opened the door and immediately knew he was in the right place.  Glancing over his shoulder, his eyes met Melanie’s with a somber expression.</p><p>	“This is it.  Let’s have a look.”</p><p> </p><p>	Having left the body in the morgue, Darrin briskly made his way to the infirmary.  He needed to see what had happened with the assistant director as soon as possible.  It was almost time for the squads to change again and he had to be ready to brief Director Potter as best he could when the time came.  Entering the ward, he approached the healer station unsure of his welcome.  Looking up from the parchment he was reading, the young man watched him with a polite smile that did not quite reach his eyes.  If it was possible to look caring and suspicious simultaneously, the man behind the desk had it down pat.</p><p>	“How may I help you?” he asked cautiously.</p><p>	“I’m here for the status on Assistant Director Granger.  I’m the only other member of the squad that’s returned so far and I’ll need to brief the director when the squads change.”  Ice blue eyes considered him thoughtfully for a moment.</p><p>	“Director Potter is already here.  He asked to be notified if the rest of your squad reported in or was brought in.”  He stood and disappeared around the end of his desk.  Suddenly the outline of a door appeared in what Darrin had assumed was a blank wall.  As the door opened inward, the healer leaned past the edge and indicated that he could enter.</p><p>	“Follow me please,” he said briskly.</p><p>	After securing the door behind them, they walked down a long corridor of rooms.  Some of the doors stood open, but most were closed and glowed faintly in certain colors.  Stopping in front of a door that glowed a gentle yellow, the healer held his hand toward the door as though he were going to lay his hand on it.  After a moment, the door swung open and three pairs of eyes focused on the door, ready to fight.</p><p>	“Auror Creswell to see you, Director.”</p><p>	“Thank you, Lucas.  You’ve been most helpful,” Harry said with a smile.  Lucas smiled in answer.</p><p>	“You’re more than welcome, sir.  Let me know if there’s anything else I can do.”</p><p>	Harry nodded and Lucas left, locking the door behind him.  Harry’s smile was now replaced with worry and concentration.  Darrin tensed.  Approachable as the director was, he radiated a quiet power that left no room for nonsense when there was trouble.  He was looking for answers and Darrin had precious few to give.</p><p>	“How much do you know?” he asked firmly.</p><p>	“Not much, I’m afraid, sir.” Darrin said ruefully.  “Malfoy gave a condensed explanation when Castner and I responded to his distress flair, but we weren’t present for the altercation.”</p><p>	“How did you leave Malfoy and Castner?”</p><p>	“I brought the body of the assailant to the morgue and came up to check on the assistant director.  Malfoy and Castner stayed to set the building to rights and to look for anything that may have been left behind.”  Ginny stepped forward slightly.</p><p>	“Did I hear correctly that you brought a body back?” she asked.</p><p>	“Yes, ma’am.  I’m not sure what happened to him, but he was dead when we got there.”</p><p>	Harry drew a deep breath and closed his eyes.  <i>One thing at a time,</i> he thought.</p><p>	“Thanks, Creswell,” Harry said wearily.  “Go on home and grab some food and rest.”</p><p>	“With your permission, sir, I’ll stay until the others get back.  I’d like to be sure they’re all right and see if they’ve found anything.”  Harry nodded.</p><p>	“Alright.  Go see Lucas about where to clean up and be sure to get yourself some food.  We’ll let you know as soon as they’re back.”</p><p>	“Yes, sir.”  Darrin then turned a worried expression toward Hermione.  “I hope you feel better soon, ma’am.  Drills aren’t the same without you—we’ll be waiting for you.”</p><p>	Hermione gave him a watery smile.  Darrin fought like a temperamental badger when the need arose but, bless him, he was so sweet to her.</p><p>	“Thank you so much, Darrin.  I’ll back before you know it.”</p><p>	Satisfied with her answer, he smiled and nodded then headed for the door.  When he had let himself out, Ginny looked at Hermione and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.  Harry dropped into the chair opposite the bed and watched her closely over steepled fingers. </p><p>	“Are you feeling any better?” she asked gently.  Hermione drew a long, shaky breath and rubbed her hands over her face.</p><p>	“My leg aches like it’s stuck in a vise, but otherwise not too bad.  Feeling wrung out, though.  Going all to pieces takes a lot out of you.”</p><p>	“I think it would have frightened me more had you not gone to pieces,” Harry said softly.  Hermione looked into his eyes and saw that he knew; he understood without having to ask.  At least, unlike last time, the wounds didn’t spell anything and the healers were able to able to not only close the wounds but remove the scars.</p><p>	Ginny looked at Harry and asked, “What do we do now?”</p><p>	“We wait until Malfoy gets back and see if he’s found anything.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Darrin walked wearily into the department common area and dropped heavily into an oversized chair.  What a night!  He knew he could go home, but he needed to see if Malfoy &amp; Castner got back.  As he settled back in the chair, he decided that if they didn’t arrive shortly he’d go back to find them.  Glancing up, he saw exactly when Melanie came in and rose to meet her as she strode quickly across the room.</p><p>	“What happened after I left?”</p><p>	“As soon as we got the hallway put right Malfoy set about trying to figure out where the spell came from that hit Ms. Granger.  He chose a door and we started searching the apartment.  Despite the pain he had to be in he insisted that we go through the room like nifflers hunting galleons.”  Darrin gave her a puzzled look.</p><p>	“Why would he have been in pain?”</p><p>	“I didn’t notice at first, but he wasn’t moving his right arm particularly well.  I chanced a closer look as we searched and I could see that something had sliced his arm up pretty badly.  When I mentioned that he should get it taken care of, he refused; said he would leave only when the apartment had been thoroughly searched and not a minute before.  He’s headed down to see the body and then he wanted to check on Ms. Granger.”</p><p>	“The director and his wife are in with her now,” Darrin replied.  “Did you find anything during your search?” Melanie’s brow furrowed as she thought aloud.</p><p>	“There wasn’t much left behind that I could see.  Whoever they were, they were pretty particular about not leaving much lying about, but hopefully what little was there will be helpful.  Most of the place was untouched save that the beds were slept in and the kitchen used.  According to Malfoy, there was a lot going on in the kitchen but he wasn’t very specific.”  It was Darrin’s turn to crease his brow.</p><p>	“If there wasn’t much left how did he know they used that room more than any other?”</p><p>	“Not sure, exactly,” Melanie said as she stretched, easing the ache in her back.  “He was putting something in a vial when I walked in and a few moments later we were headed back here.  Once he was satisfied that I was alright he strode off toward the morgue saying he’d check on us again later.”</p><p>	“What a night,” Darrin moaned softly.  Drawing a deep breath, he asked, “Want to grab some food from the canteen before debriefing?”  She gave him a tired, grateful smile.</p><p>	“Brilliant!  Maybe this will make a bit more sense after some food.”  Darrin barked out a short, humorless laugh and held the door open for her.</p><p>	“Doubt it, but we’ll give it a try anyhow.”</p><p> </p><p>	By this time, Draco was on his way from the morgue to the infirmary.  He left the vial he brought from the apartment with the witch who was examining the body of the wizard he chased down.  After looking more closely at the body himself for a moment, he asked to be notified of whether the potion the wizard drank and the traces of liquid he found in the kitchen were the same substance.  She assured him that he would have the results as soon as the lead apothecary and resident potions master had made their evaluations.  Satisfied with that part of the investigation, he then turned his attention to other matters.</p><p>	Sweeping through the infirmary door, his sudden arrival startled the wizard at the healer’s station.  Ice blue eyes widened as Draco walked across the waiting room.  Lucas knew who it was immediately, but, as he opened his mouth to speak, Draco spoke up first.</p><p>	“Squad Captain Malfoy here to see Assistant Director Granger,” he said as he approached.  The startled look did not leave Lucas’ eyes, but he rose from his seat and the outline of the door appeared in the wall as it had when Darrin had arrived.  Without missing his stride, Draco altered his direction slightly to head into the ward rather than approach the station.  Lucas stepped aside for Draco to pass and responded steadily to the curt statement.</p><p>        “Director Potter and his wife are with her now, sir.  He asked to be notified if you arrived or were brought in.  Auror Creswell—” he froze midsentence.  Seeing a glimpse of Draco’s arm when he strode past made his brow crease in concern.<br/>
“Captain!”  Draco kept walking.  “Captain Malfoy, please!  Your arm must be seen to!”</p><p>        “It can be seen to when I’ve seen the Assistant Director,” Draco said firmly.  “Not before.”</p><p>        “Please, sir!  I can’t see it as well as I need to right now, but I don’t think it will take long to take care of it.  Please, just wait until you’re healed!”</p><p>        Still Draco walked on, scanning the doors as he went.  He didn’t see any names on any of them.  How the devil was he supposed to find her?</p><p> </p><p>        “It’s settled, Hermione,” Ginny said firmly.  “Harry can bring you home with him tonight and you can spend a few days with us.”</p><p>        As Hermione, her expression fretful, opened her mouth to speak all three of them had their attention diverted by the sound of approaching voices.  Voices that were clearly agitated.</p><p>        “But, sir, if you would just—”</p><p>        “Enough!  Either you show me which of these damned rooms she’s in or I’ll start blowing the doors off their hinges one at a time!”</p><p>        Recognizing the voice immediately, Harry was on his feet and opening the door, knowing that that was not likely an idle threat.  Just down the hall from where he stood was a flabbergasted Lucas facing off with a clearly furious Draco.  Lucas saw him over Draco’s shoulder and tried to explain.</p><p>        “I’m so sorry, Director.  I’ve been trying to get Captain Malfoy to let me get his arm taken care of but he won’t see reason!  He—”</p><p>        Upon Lucas addressing Harry, Draco spun around and, with a look of determination mixed with concern, strode past Harry and into the room.  Harry held up his hand to Lucas, effectively forestalling any other explanations, and motioned him inside.  Draco had stopped a few feet from the foot of the bed and was looking at Hermione intensely.</p><p>        “Are you alright?” he asked gruffly.</p><p>        Hermione gave a slight nod, but her lower lip trembled slightly and she blinked rapidly for a moment as she answered softly, “Better now than I was earlier.  Thank you for calling Izzy to bring me back.  But what about you?  Lucas seems to think you need tending to.”</p><p>        “Which will be taken care of now or this conversation is at an end,” Harry interrupted firmly as he poured two glasses of water, handing one to Hermione and one to Draco.  Silver eyes snapping in anger bounced to emerald green ones that held an equal measure of both determination and concern.  It was the latter that caused Draco to clamp down on his temper and turn toward the healer.  He hated to admit it, but they were right.  He was already losing sensation in his hand so he didn’t have much time left to get the wounds seen to.</p><p>        “Get on with it then,” he said with a resigned sigh.  Harry nodded his approval as Draco downed the water and set the glass back on the table.  Choosing to stand while he spoke with Draco, he brought a chair up for Ginny to sit next to Hermione’s bed as Lucas left for some supplies.  Hermione moved her hand and Ginny took it in one of hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze as Harry resumed conversation.</p><p>        “Hermione’s filled us in on what happened up until you took off after the attacker.  What happened next?”</p><p>        Drawing a deep breath, Draco closed his eyes briefly and rubbed his face with his left hand as he gathered his thoughts.</p><p>        “Granger shoved me to the side and the first spell shot over our heads.  We threw out shield charms in case another one was coming, but that moment we were getting off the floor was all the time that bastard needed to bolt down the stairs.  I gave chase and thought she was right behind me.” He looked back to Hermione with eyes full of emotion.  “Had I known you had been hit I would never have left.  I—”</p><p>        She gave a slight nod and said gently, “I know.”</p><p>        He looked at her in silence a moment more and Lucas came back in, a high stool and supply box floating in his wake.  Motioning Draco to sit, he set the box on the table and waved his hand to vanish Draco’s torn coat and shirt.  Harry said nothing, but his brow snapped down in a frown and he drew a sharp breath while the girls gasped at what they saw.  His arm had been deeply slashed diagonally in three places between his shoulder and elbow; the skin around them hanging off in places had turned black and varying shades of purple.  The rest of his arm and his hand were covered in dried blood.  Harry glanced at Lucas and back to Draco’s arm.</p><p>        “Is it as bad as it looks?” Harry asked.  The healer turned the arm gingerly to examine it closer then flicked a worried look at Harry before moving his hand slowly through the air over Draco’s arm.  Draco felt a slight warmth followed by a tingling sensation before Lucas pulled out his wand and began to clean away the blood and bits of fabric that had stuck to the wounds.</p><p>        “Thankfully, no,” replied the healer.  “It’s quite awful, make no mistake; but it would have been far worse had this spell done what it was supposed to do.  I would guess that it was cast by someone who had yet to master it.”</p><p>        Before anyone else could respond, Draco caught Lucas’ attention and raised his brow, “<i>Lacertus seperare?</i>”  He nodded grimly.  Turning back to everyone else Draco could see them looking slightly nauseous.  The spell, an old one that completely severed muscles, was considered a very nasty piece of magic and, thankfully, not a widely known one.</p><p>        “I came round a landing a little closer to the railing than I would have liked and he caught my arm as I was raising it to try another stunning spell.  I wasn’t getting anywhere and running out of time so I vaulted the railing to land in front of him, which bought me enough time to disarm him.  Unfortunately, rather than be caught he knocked back a vial of something that killed him damn near instantly.  When I pulled back his hood, I turned to talk to Granger and saw I was alone.  Apparating back to the top floor I found the hall deserted and her on the floor.  As soon as I brought her round I had Izzy bring her here and fired off distress sparks.”</p><p>        Draco grunted and bent his head as Lucas got a stubborn piece of fabric removed from the last gash and inspected the wounds again.  Turning back to the table, he set down his wand and began preparing bandages and a large bottle with a dropper.  He said nothing as he worked, but upon pouring a translucent blue liquid into a glass he turned and addressed Draco.</p><p>        “Right.  This will be far from pleasant, Captain, but it needs to be done.  I used a numbing charm while I got you cleaned up but it will not be strong enough for what I have to do.  Drink that Pain Free Potion so I can get this taken care of.”</p><p>        Typically Draco avoided any kind of potions like this one—even when his back had been riddled with barely sealed welts he turned from them—but right now he didn’t care.  He was utterly spent and if the potion bought him some pain free hours to fall back and regroup he would take it willingly.  Making a face as he knocked back the liquid, he began to feel the pain ebbing almost instantly.  Handing the glass back to Lucas, he asked the question foremost in his mind.</p><p>        “How long will it last?”</p><p>        “I gave you a little more than I typically would, but I wanted to buy you a few hours of sleep before it wore off.  The effect will disappear as quickly as it began so you will know immediately when the time is up, but by then there should not be more than a dull ache.”  Pulling the dropper from the bottle, he held that in his left hand and picked up his wand with the right.  Taking a deep slow breath to steady his nerves, he began working on the lowest of the three slashes.  He worked silently and with great concentration; meticulously putting drops at regular intervals while using his wand hand to reattach muscles and ligaments before closing the skin over them again.  They watched in queasy fascination for a few moments before Draco turned his attention back to Harry.</p><p>        “Wizard that attacked us was Daniel Fitzmarlow.  The head apothecary and potions master are still trying to work out what he downed to snuff himself that quickly.”</p><p>        Ginny, her brow knitted in concentration, spoke up for the first time since Draco walked in.  “Fitzmarlow.  I don’t recognize that name.”  Draco nodded grimly.</p><p>        “Few people would.  Once a person would find out that he’s the nephew of Walden Macnair, however, they would know enough to run.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As they digested this bit of information, Lucas set down his wand and breathed a sigh of relief.  Draco looked down and though the gaping slashes were no longer present he was not sure all was well; it burned, was still horribly bruised and now beginning to swell.  Looking toward the healer, Draco saw that he was still at work.  Picking up a large piece of linen, he folded a generous amount of gauze inside it and poured a large amount of the liquid he’d been using onto it.  He passed his hand over it, picked it up and laid it on Draco’s arm, whereupon he began wrapping it with a long linen strip to keep it in place.</p><p>“What’s on the bandage?” Draco asked.</p><p>“Essence of Dittany,” Lucas replied, “and the strongest concentration we have at that.  I made the same wrap for Assistant Director Granger’s leg.  Don’t take it off for at least four hours—leave it on longer if you can.  I’ve put a charm on the bandages to keep the dittany from seeping out all over so it can only make contact with the injury.”  He tied off the bandage, put what remained of his supplies back in the box and turned back to Draco.  “Best not to do anything strenuous with that arm for a day or two if you can help it.  A lot had to be reattached and magical healing or not your body will still need to recuperate.”</p><p>Draco nodded his understanding and extended his left hand to the younger man.  Lucas blinked in surprise, then, after a moment of hesitation, accepted the handshake with a smile.</p><p>“I appreciate the help.  Merlin knows I didn’t make it easy for you.”</p><p>“Thank you, Captain.  I hope you heal well.”</p><p>“Well if I don’t it’s definitely no fault of yours; you’re a very skilled healer.  Thank you.”</p><p>Ginny watched this exchange in amazement—since when did Draco Malfoy thank <i>anyone</i> for <i>anything?</i>  While she was grappling with reconciling the arrogant, foul git she knew from childhood with the man in front of her, Harry, in contrast, stood in thoughtful speculation.  He did not claim to know everything about Draco, but a few months ago he began to wonder if life at Malfoy Manor had been as easy or as privileged as it had appeared.  A gentle touch on his hand brought him out of his thoughts and he turned to Ginny.</p><p>“Look,” she said quietly, indicating Hermione, “She’s finally out.”  Harry looked at Hermione to see her sound asleep.</p><p>“’Bout bloody time,” he muttered as he took the glass from her slackened fingers.  Ginny looked at him in confusion and then realization dawned.</p><p>“You slipped a sleeping draught into her water.  She didn’t want it, you know that.”  Harry looked at her with a worried expression.</p><p>“I also know she hasn’t slept worth a damn for months, this last one in particular.  She won’t be happy with me that I tricked her into taking it, but she needed the sleep more than anything else.  I gave her enough Half Seas Under to keep her in a dreamless sleep for about forty-eight hours so I’ll be able to get her home without protest and she’ll have someone with her when she wakes up.”  Ginny nodded her agreement and started to gather her things while Harry turned his attention back to Draco.</p><p>“Your dose was considerably less but you will start feeling its effects shortly so I suggest you head back home while you’re still upright.”  Draco’s temper flared immediately.</p><p>“Since when did I ask for any—”  </p><p>“This isn’t about pride, Malfoy, it’s about practicality and not a little concern for your well-being,” Harry snapped back.  “You’ve lost a lot of blood on top of being up all night and you’re no good to anyone dropping over or incoherent.  You need rest almost as badly as Hermione does.”  He paused and gave him a direct, meaningful look.  “Maybe more than she does.”</p><p>Though still furious, Draco held his tongue and Harry’s gaze for a long moment.  He did not like it at all, but he had to concede that Harry was right again.  Due to the adrenaline in his system the effects of the potion had not begun to take hold yet, but he was familiar with this particular sleeping potion as it was the one his mother favored.  Very shortly he would be asleep on his feet.  Offering up a prayer for patience, he did the only reasonable thing.</p><p>“Izzy, could you come here, please,” Draco said firmly.</p><p>With a sharp crack, the dainty house elf appeared in the middle of the room.  Walking up to Draco with a look of deep concern, she asked, “Is you alright, sir?”</p><p>“I am, thank you, Izzy.”  He inclined his head toward Lucas, who was on his way out of the room.  “The gentleman over there is to be thanked for that.”</p><p>Lucas turned and smiled kindly at the little house elf as he made to close the door.  He’d always had a fondness for them, though he had only been in their company a limited number of times.  She smiled brightly up at him and snapped her fingers, causing a box of chocolates to appear on the supply box that was preceding Lucas from the room.  He blinked in surprise, and then turned to her with a slightly embarrassed grin.</p><p>“Thank you kindly, Miss Izzy.  That was very nice of you.”</p><p>“You is quite welcome sir,” she answered pleasantly as she bobbed a curtsey.</p><p>When Lucas left, Izzy turned to look at who else was in the room.  Upon seeing Hermione her ears drooped and she trotted quickly to her bedside.  She turned to them with a fretful expression but, before she could speak, Ginny offered the information the elf was looking for.</p><p>“She’ll be alright,” she told her gently.  “She’s been given something to make her sleep, but she’ll be staying with us so we can keep an eye on her and be with her when she wakes up.”</p><p>Izzy closed her eyes briefly and breathed a sigh of relief.  Turning her attention back to the bed, she tipped her head slightly, as if considering something.  Taking a slight step back, she raised her little hands and Hermione was slowly lifted into the air.  While she was suspended, the sheets were straightened and the pillow fluffed to make sure she was as comfortable as possible.  Before lowering her charge again Izzy decided that the messy coil that Hermione’s hair was in would not be comfortable to lie on.  She snapped her fingers and vanished the ties and pins so that her hair came loose and hung in a thick, tangled curtain.  Tsking quietly, the elf wiggled her fingers and the tangles were magically combed away.  Crossing and uncrossing the first two fingers of her right hand fashioned the hair into a simple braid, which Izzy tied off with a blue ribbon.  After lowering her back to the bed, the covers were brought back up gently until they reached her chin.  The elf passed her hand from left to right over the blankets.</p><p>“What was that last wave for?” Harry asked curiously.  Izzy blushed and looked at him with a slightly embarrassed expression.</p><p>“Miss Hermione cannot sleep in filthy clothes.  She had to have nice, soft nightclothes to sleep in, sir, but I could not change them where everyone could see.”  Harry nodded in understanding and smiled.</p><p>“You are very thoughtful, Izzy.  We are privileged to know you,” Ginny said sincerely.  Blushing deeply at the compliment, the little elf dropped a curtsey and smiled sweetly.</p><p>“Thank you, Miss.”</p><p>While Harry put away the chair Ginny had been using and drew the drapes against the light of the rising sun, Ginny realized that Malfoy had gone still and quiet.  Turning to him as she picked up her handbag, she noticed that he had moved closer to the foot of the bed and was watching Hermione closely.  Her brow furrowed slightly; <i>why is he watching her so intently,</i> she thought.</p><p>“Malfoy,” she said.  No response.  “Malfoy!” she repeated more firmly.  Draco redirected his attention to her, but his expression was becoming decidedly weary.  Harry had noticed as well.</p><p>“Izzy, would you be so good as to be sure Malfoy gets back to the manor and rests?”  He then turned his attention to Draco.  “You’ve given us a name and a location we can start with.  I’ll be in touch with the potions master as well as getting a team on researching who else Fitzmarlow might be working with.  Everyone will be briefed with the findings as soon as I have them.  In the meantime, go home and let your body try to heal for a day or two.  I’ve reorganized the squads and pulled from other departments to cover patrols so you should not have to go back out in the field for a little while at least.”  Draco lifted his eyebrow and gave him a level look.</p><p>“What am I supposed to do, then?”</p><p>“You’ll be going back to training when you come back, but also trying to follow leads and help piece this mess together.”</p><p>Draco nodded and swayed slightly on his feet.  They steadied him for a moment and then Ginny looked at Izzy with a smile saying, “Best to take Malfoy home now before he falls over.”</p><p>Nodding her head in agreement, the house elf smiled as she firmly held Draco’s hand and snapped her fingers right as Draco began with, “I’m not going to—,” and they were gone.</p><p>The couple looked at each other for a long moment before Harry opened his arms and Ginny walked into them.  They held to each other, each lost in their own thoughts.  Heaving a sigh and placing a kiss on her cheek, Harry leaned back in their embrace.<br/>“I’m going to head up for the rest of debriefing and then start looking into this Fitzmarlow’s background, see what I can find out.  I’ll bring Hermione home with me and we’ll get her settled in.  Hopefully, we can get her to stay a few days after she wakes up.  Being on her own at night probably won’t be a good thing for her for a little bit.”</p><p>“I don’t think she’s going to be paranoid, Harry,” Ginny reminded him gently.</p><p>“Paranoid has nothing to do with it,” he replied with a drawn, slightly haunted look.  Releasing Ginny, he turned to stare at his best friend’s sleeping form.  “She was refusing the sleeping draught because she’s been trying to wean herself off of them, which I completely support her on, but the downside is that her nightmares are more vivid and more frequent without them.  Given what happened last night I would not be surprised if they come roaring back like a rampaging horntail and I’d rather her not wake alone if she has one.”</p><p>Ginny considered her husband in silence.  He knew all about those kinds of nightmares because he himself was still plagued with them.  They were no longer as frequent as they had been right after the war, but the more stress he was under the worse and more persistent they became.  Many a night he would start thrashing or yelling in his sleep and, on occasion would fire a spell as he jolted upright, ready to either fight or run.  She never said anything, leaving it up to him if he wanted to talk about it, but he would always get up to look out the window for a few moments and then come back to bed.  As soon as he was back under the blankets she would slide over and hold him, giving him the love and closeness that he needed.<br/>Hoping to ease the tension, she gave him a gentle kiss and a long hug.</p><p>“We’ll get through this, too, just like we have everything else,” she assured him quietly.  He tipped up her face and looked into her eyes, seeing the love he knew was reflected in his own.</p><p>“I’ll see you tonight.  I’ll let you know if I find anything or anything else happens.  Please be sure to get some rest today.”  She chuckled and placed her hand on his cheek.</p><p>“I feel fine.  I adjusted my meal sizes and that’s helps immensely, I’m not feeling nearly so poorly.”  He raised his brows at her and waited.  She held his gaze a moment and then heaved a resigned sigh.  “Fine.  I’ll rest this afternoon after lunch.”  Satisfied, Harry nodded.</p><p>“I love you,” he told her quietly.</p><p>“I love you, too,” she answered.  With a final, quick kiss he apparated out and, with a final look at Hermione, Ginny did the same.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Many huge thank yous to everyone that has been following the story and leaving kudos.  I'm so very glad that you like my work and continue to come back for each new chapter.  You are very much appreciated!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Though no one had been witness to what happened when Draco and Hermione were ambushed, word had spread rapidly of how he had made sure she was taken to the healers before he personally led the search of the scene despite being grievously injured.  Actions such as these would gain anyone attention but, in this case, the attention brought with it an intriguing possibility.  While there were still many in the department that looked at him askance, even they had to admit that—so far, at least—he seemed to have left his Death Eater days behind.</p><p>	Oblivious to the reevaluation of his character that was taking place, Draco, for his part, had returned to the ministry the next day.  Though slightly stiff after his ordeal, he was clear-headed and burning for vengeance.  As horrible as the crimes committed thus far had been, the attack on Hermione kept coming to the forefront of his thoughts.  Whoever had done that was going to pay dearly if he had any say in the matter.  Draco was spending countless hours combing through the information on the attacks as well as making some discreet inquiries on his own—anything to get answers.</p><p>	He was not surprised when he saw neither Harry nor Hermione when he arrived back at the ministry; she was likely still recovering and he doubtless had other duties that day.  When there was no sign of them the following day, he was puzzled but noted that there was no concern from the rest of the department so kept his musings to himself.  Approaching his desk on Friday, he noted a large stack of files upon which a note had been placed.</p><p>	<i>See me when you get in.  P</i></p><p>	Deciding he would likely need them, he picked up the files and headed toward Harry’s office.  Upon entering, he noted that the ministry robes Harry normally wore were nowhere to be seen and instead he was dressed for the training room.  Muttering to himself as he worked, he was rapidly looking through stacks of files and paperwork; some got left on the desk while others went into a briefcase that floated nearby.  Without looking up from his task, he addressed Draco as he approached.</p><p>	“Feeling better?”</p><p>	“Considerably; I was back on Wednesday.  I expected you to be here as much as possible but I think it would have been easier to find a demiguise rather than you lately.”</p><p>	“I’ll still be working from the house for the next few days except for debriefings.”  Waving his hand over his desk, the remaining papers and files put themselves away in various bins and drawers immediately followed by the gentle clicking of various locks.  Closing his case, he then turned his attention to Draco.</p><p>	“The files I left on your desk are the case files containing all the information that has been compiled from the crime scenes—researched information as well as transcriptions of the squad’s briefings.  She, Kingsely and I are the only ones that have seen them; the information from debriefing is the only information available to the squads as a whole.  I need you to go through them and see if there is anything that’s been missed entirely or a connection that we haven’t made.”</p><p>	“You’re anticipating trouble,” Draco observed.  Harry nodded gravely.</p><p>	“Absolutely.  No one’s been caught and it’s been entirely too quiet.  They’re likely watching their next targets and I want to try to anticipate them.” His eyes shone with suppressed fury and he snarled, “I want them caught.”  Draco nodded and turned to leave.</p><p>	 “Agreed.  I can work with Granger and we’ll update her board.  We’ll brief you as soon as possible.”</p><p>	“You’re on your own for the moment.  ‘Mione’s not here.”  Draco stopped and snapped his head around.  His calm voice belied the worry now coursing through him.</p><p>	“Where is she?”</p><p>	“Our house.  She’s still asleep.”  Draco began to approach the desk with slow, measured steps, watching Harry with a deepening frown.</p><p>	“It’s been three days, Potter, how bloody much of that potion did you give her?” he asked fiercely.  As he watched him approach, Harry’s expression changed quickly from surprised to thoughtful.</p><p>	“I gave her enough for forty-eight hours, but when she didn’t come ‘round I had Lucas over to check on her.  Even with adjusting the amount slightly to allow for weighing less than usual, she lost more than I had accounted for so she’s been out longer than she would normally have been.”  Draco’s frowned deepened.</p><p>	“That makes no sense.  We’re all on edge—why should she be affected so much more drastically than the rest of us?”</p><p>	Harry looked at him a moment and then picked up his briefcase.  Casting a quick glance at the open office door, he made his way to the fireplace and grabbed a bit of floo powder before he turned around again.</p><p>	“You’ll find the answer in that file on top,” he said quietly.  “Remember:  it’s not common knowledge so keep it to yourself.  You should be able to find me at home if you need me.”  Turning back to the flames, he tossed in the powder, called out <i>12 Grimmauld Place</i> and was gone.</p><p>	Heaving a sigh of annoyance, Draco threw one last scowl at the flames, turned once more and strode for his office, fuming quietly.  <i>What the blazes does he need to be so cryptic for,</i> he thought.  <i>There’s no call to be so secretive.  It’s not as if…</i></p><p>	He froze with his hand on the doorknob as a thought suddenly crashed through his mind.  Access to their department was severely limited and those that had access used it rarely with the exception of Kingsley.  Harry would have no reason to keep anything secret unless he suspected that information was getting out, that they had a traitor.  But what could that have to do with Hermione?</p><p>	Now inside his office he hastily locked the door behind him, crossed briskly to the desk and opened the first file.  Looking at the tab, he noted that it belonged to the first case where the victims had been killed rather than kidnapped.  Having already reviewed the briefing reports for all the crime scenes the day that Squad 4 had disappeared, he moved on to the next document, which was the start of the personal information compiled on the victims.  He only had to read the first line when his jaw clenched and he bowed his head, understanding and sympathy arriving simultaneously.</p><p>	Taking a deep breath, he set down the file and steepled his fingers, staring off into space while his mind rapidly started trying to piece bits of information together into theories.  It was no secret that she had muggle parents, but he doubted very much that anyone in the wizarding world would know on sight that Wendell and Monica Wilkins were really the parents of Hermione Granger.  It was equally unlikely that the criminals chose a random couple that turned out to be related to one of the most well-known war heroes in the wizarding community.  Taken together, that meant there was a very good chance she was being watched; possibly targeted.  Why?  And was she the only one?  He pulled out a piece of parchment and quill and began picking through the information, jotting questions and theories as he went.</p><p>	Long after everyone else had left for the night, Draco made the last of his notes and sent an owl to Harry that he’d be along in the morning to discuss his ideas.  Waving his hand over the files, he sent them into the bottom drawer of his desk, locked it and, as an afterthought, silently added a protection of his own as an added precaution.  Making his way to the fireplace, he was too tired to notice that his office door was no longer locked or completely closed and he definitely had not noticed the figure that had been watching him from the shadows.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <i>She apparated in the shadow of a building and began making her way through the throng.  As she went, she could see Danby milling quietly through the muggle onlookers and silently nudging them to go about their business.  The air reeked of gasoline and smoke, but she then caught the unmistakable smell of burnt flesh.  Clearing the last of the crowd, she stopped short and the color drained from her face.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>‘Death to Muggles’ was scorched across the hood of the car.  The hood of her parent’s car.  Faces slack and eyes glassy she could see that their throats had been cut but, not content with that, their killer had burned a hole through each of them after they had been killed.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Shaking from head to toe, her knees buckled and she began to sob hysterically.  Stumbling to her feet, she tried to walk closer to the car.  Someone stopped her.  She began struggling…..</i>
</p><p>She woke thrashing violently, legs tangled in sheets and someone speaking firmly and shaking her by the shoulders.</p><p>“Wake up!  Wake up, Hermione!”  Fully awake now, she focused on Ginny’s concerned face.  Trying to calm down and failing miserably, she sat up and hugged her while she cried.  This was more than the controlled shedding of tears; sobs she could no longer contain racked her body with the ferocity of a hurricane.  Returning the hug fiercely, Ginny encouraged her to continue.</p><p>“That’s it,” she whispered, “Let it out.  Let it all out.  It’ll break you to pieces if you don’t.”  Gradually the sobbing eased to sniffles, then ceased.  Waving her hand, Ginny turned on the lamp near the bed as she sat back and looked at her friend.  She handed her a tissue and, while Hermione blew her nose, Ginny took the opportunity to use a drying charm to remove the tears from both their shirts and stood briefly to snap her fingers to straighten the sheets.  Upon resuming her seat, she looked at the pale woman next to her for a long moment before speaking.</p><p>“That was long overdue, you know,” she said gently.  Hermione snorted softly.</p><p>“It feels like that’s been happening a lot lately; I seem to go from functional to watering pot at the drop of a hat.”  She rubbed her face with both hands and continued, “So many times I wake up in a total panic and then I’m running through the house unpacking this or cleaning that—anything to give me focus, keep the memories away.”  Reaching over to take Hermione’s hand in both of hers, Ginny waited until she was ready to continue.  When she did, she stared into the distance and spoke quietly.</p><p>“The nightmares after the war were bad enough.  These are so much worse.  Then there are nights when I get bits of all of it.  Bellatrix with her dagger, who then turns to Voldemort, who fires a spell that misses me then kills my parents.”  She drew a slow, unsteady breath and released it with a shudder.  “It never seems to end.”</p><p>It broke Ginny’s heart to see Hermione like this, knowing that the support she could give her would help a lot yet only go so far.  What she really needed was the kind of support that she and Harry gave to each other.  Resolving to do what she could, she gave her hand a squeeze and summoned a robe from the cupboard.</p><p>“Let’s take this conversation downstairs.  We’ll have some breakfast and see if we can’t work some of this out.”  She gave a small smile and pulled the robe on as she followed Ginny to the door.  When she got into the hall she stopped and gazed around in surprise.</p><p>Not having been through the house for quite a while, she found the difference in its appearance to be nothing short of astounding.  Light streamed through windows that sparkled and were framed with white draperies.  Gone was the dark, dirt-covered wallpaper she remembered in favor of Wedgewood blue walls.  Woodwork gleamed; rugs and upholstery were now repaired and spotless.  The heads of former house elves had been removed in favor of the pictures of family and friends.  Hermione turned to Ginny with an impressed, yet astonished expression.</p><p>“This is fantastic!  However did you manage it?”  Ginny smiled widely as they headed down the stairs.</p><p>“Kreacher was already keeping the house considerably cleaner after Harry changed his attitude toward him and gave him the locket.  When he officially moved in after the war he gave Kreacher Regulus’ old room for his own quarters and since then he has been devoted to Harry.  Took him a bit to acclimate to me, but it wasn’t too bad.  Since then it’s been a joint effort getting the house up to scratch. It started slowly at first; Kreacher wasn’t too keen on changing anything, but he came round.  He has his pick of whatever we’re packing up if he wants it for his room and the rest goes to the attic, which pleases him no end.  We’ll walk through the house when we’re done with breakfast if you like.”  They started walking down the stairs.</p><p>“I’d love to, but its late and I have to get to work.”  Hermione’s brow furrowed at Ginny’s chuckle.</p><p>“No point in going in today,” she said with a smile.  “It’s Saturday; place is deserted unless it’s time for the patrols to change.”</p><p>This was one of the few times that Hermione Granger was completely at a loss for words.  Frozen mid-step, she griped the railing and stared off into space.  Four days.  She’d been asleep for <i>four whole days!</i>  Suddenly, her eyes narrowed and her expression began to turn stormy.  Arching a brow, she asked in a deceptively quiet voice, “Who gave me the sleeping draught?”</p><p>With a look equaling hers in its intensity, Ginny held her gaze.  “Harry slipped it into your water that night.  He gave some to Malfoy that night also, though he admitted to being deliberately heavy-handed with yours—he knew you were running on fumes.”  Quirking a smile, she continued, “You slept longer than he was anticipating you were going to, though, so he’s had Lucas round three times to verify that he didn’t do worse than put you to sleep.”</p><p>Her expression cleared while she laughed quietly and shook her head, the desire to throttle Harry on sight leaving as quickly as it had come.  He was always looking out for her even when she didn’t think she needed looking after.  Though she had not wanted to take anything for sleep, she felt physically better than she had in a long time.  Maybe this could be the start of the turning point she needed.  They smiled at each other and continued to the kitchen.</p><p>It was obvious that Kreacher was already hopping about the kitchen from the delicious smells wafting toward them as they came down the hall.  Walking through the door, they heard him talking to himself as he worked.</p><p>“—not sure what will happen next.  What will become of Master Harry?  Kreacher sees him worry; worry all the time when he thinks no one sees.  Kreacher sees, yes, but Kreacher cannot help, no.”  He turned to see them and they smiled as he bowed and said, “Good morning, Mistress Ginny!  Kreacher has made breakfast, and be sure to eat what you can, if you please.  Kreacher shall set a place for Mistress Hermione now that she is awake.”  With that he busied himself collecting dishes and then serving once they took their seats.</p><p>“Thank you, Kreacher,” they said together.</p><p>As they dug into their breakfast they heard the faint sound of a door opening, followed by a crack as Kreacher disapparated.  Steady footsteps down three flights of stairs, a few extra moments and a happy but groggy looking Harry joined them in the kitchen.  Ginny stood as he approached and he wrapped her in a lingering embrace.  Releasing her after a chaste kiss good morning, he turned to Hermione, who got a fierce hug before being held at arm’s length.</p><p>“It’s so good to see you up and about, ‘Mione,” he said with a relieved smile.  “I’m sure you’re more than a little cross with me for slipping you the sleeping draught, but you needed the sleep more than you were willing to admit.” She sighed and sent him a begrudging smile.</p><p>“I was definitely unhappy with you at first, but I can’t argue with your logic.  Physically I feel better than I have in weeks and I know it’s largely due to crashing for as long as I have.  With any luck I can start sorting my body out and start getting more than a few hours a night again.”</p><p>Harry smiled as he took a seat next to Ginny and began to fill his plate.</p><p>“So,” Harry began casually, “while you were napping, Ginny and I took a surprise over to your place for you.” Hermione looked up from her plate quickly to see Harry and Ginny smiling quite smugly at her.  “And I would bet a bag of galleons you’ll never be able to guess what it is.”  Sparking with happiness and excitement, she pretended to be lost in serious thought.</p><p>“Hmmm.  What could it be?  Wait!  I know!  You found me a leather-bound edition of The Life and Times of Aldabert Waffling!”</p><p>Harry choked on pumpkin juice and Ginny snorted into her eggs.</p><p>“Disappointed though you are doubtless going to be, no, we did not,” chortled Ginny.  “But you’ll see it when you get home.  Before you toddle off, though, I was hoping you’d stay for a while and visit.” Hermione smiled.</p><p>“I’d love to.  I can go to the office tomorrow to catch up.”  Ginny beamed at her.  Having finished their meal, Hermione started to run water in the sink and was about to help with dishes when Harry stopped her and set about putting the last of the dishes on the counter.</p><p>“Just stack them neatly by the sink.  Kreacher is not happy when we wash the dishes but we objected to leaving such a mess when we’re done.  Compromise was that we’re allowed to get them off the table but that’s it.”  Hermione’s brow creased slightly as they walked into the living room and sat down.</p><p>“Where is Kreacher?”</p><p>“He insists on Saturday being wash day so he’ll have disappeared upstairs to start on that,” Harry answered.  “We usually give him a bit before we head up to change because he’s of the opinion that we’re underfoot when he’s changing the linens.”  Hermione chuckled softly and shook her head slightly.</p><p>“He’s happy then.  I’ll never understand why house elves are so bent on servitude.”</p><p>Ginny smiled.  “It’s like living with a hyperactive mom—always wanting to take care of your family every minute of every day in every sense of the word.”  Her smile got wider.  She glanced at Harry, who was grinning just as broadly.  “And, speaking of that…  Hermione, we’ve been so impatient to tell you:  I’m pregnant.”</p><p>Hermione gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.  The couple rose as she dashed toward them and clasped Ginny, then Harry in fierce hugs with her eyes brimming with happy tears.  She beamed at them, so happy for this exciting turn their lives were taking.</p><p>“This is wonderful!  When will the baby get here?” she asked excitedly.</p><p>“It looks like October.  Wait ‘til I show you the nursery!”  Ginny said excitedly.  Harry chuckled as he hugged them and then headed toward the hallway.</p><p>“While you do that I’m going to get dressed and head down the basement.  I feel the need to unwind a bit before I jump back into the fray.”</p><p>“Have fun!” the girls said together, then looked at each other, giggling.  Harry smiled at them and, figuring Kreacher would be finished with the beds by now, headed upstairs to get dressed.  <i>It’s good to hear them laugh again,</i> he thought.</p><p> </p><p>Once Hermione had changed into the clothes that Ginny had brought along for her they went up to the nursery.  Walking to the middle of the room, she turned slowly to take in all the details.  Soft yellow walls and cherry furniture gave the room a coziness that she found very soothing and she knew that Ginny was the driving force of the design of the room.  Spying the quidditch mobile hanging over the crib and a baby-sized set of quidditch robes, however, showed her that Harry had a hand in it as well.  Pictures of family and friends were hung on the wall behind the crib and the rocker in the opposite corner gave a person the ability to look at them as well as out the window.  </p><p>Turning to face Ginny, she said in a hushed voice.  “It’s perfect.  It’s got bits of both of you in it and its cozy and…” her eyes shone brightly as she smiled at her friend, “I’m just so happy for you.”  Closing the distance between them, she gave Ginny a long hug.</p><p>“We want you to be the godmother,” Ginny said.  Hermione’s face split into a wide grin.</p><p>“I’d love to,” she replied.  Now it was Ginny’s turn to smile broadly.</p><p>“Brilliant!”  Putting her arm about Hermione’s shoulder, she steered her from the room.  “Since I get to keep you for a bit lets go to the courtyard.  The weather’s halfway decent today so we can enjoy the sunshine and I’d like to ask your opinion about the gardens.  I’ve left it ‘til last since I’m pants at growing things, but Harry was telling me what you’d done with yours and it sounds amazing.”  Hermione chuckled softly as they descended the stairs.</p><p>“I’m surprised he noticed.  Flowers are not usually on his agenda unless he’s getting them for you.  Seriously, though, the house is pretty much squared away so I’d like you and Harry to come over—if you can, maybe weekend after next.”  They got to the ground floor and headed to the back of the house.</p><p>“That’s perfect!  I’m meeting with Gwenog to go over my leave of absence next Saturday and we’re seeing the healer on Sunday and we’d hate to miss spending time.  Were you thinking of having a crowd?”  With a rueful smile, Hermione shook her head slightly as she reached for the handle of the door leading to the courtyard.</p><p>“Not necessarily a crowd, but I wanted some of the most important people in my life with me for a positive reason for a change.”</p><p>Ginny opened her mouth to reply when Kreacher suddenly appeared in front of them, making them start.</p><p>“Mistress Ginny!  The wards have gone off!  Someone just apparated inside the gate!”  Hermione’s eyes widened in alarm and she began to reach for her wand, but Ginny stretched out her right hand to stop her while she looked at the watch on her left wrist.</p><p>“Everyone just calm down,” she said soothingly.  “There’s no sense in dashing about.  People are rerouted there when they try to apparate or floo to the house without being cleared first so whoever it is will be stuck out there until either Harry or I release them.  It’s likely someone from the ministry here to see Harry.  Typically he’s ready to meet people and opens the wards when they arrive, but when he’s downstairs he’s off on his own planet.”  Looking at Hermione she smiled and wagged a finger at her.  “You’re not to get overwrought if it can be helped.  Feel freeish to meander through here and come up with some amazing suggestions about this disaster area and I’ll be right back.”  She then turned her attention to the clearly agitated house elf.</p><p>“Thank you very much for raising the alarm so quickly, Kreacher.  Please come with me while I see who it is and then perhaps you would be so good as to put on a pot of tea.”  Kreacher took her outstretched hand and snapped his fingers and they vanished.</p><p>Hermione chuckled and shook her head.  Like Mrs. Weasley before her, Ginny would make an excellent mother.  Deciding that she would set some things up for Ginny to see while she waited, she pulled out her wand and looked around thoughtfully.  <i>First,</i> she thought, <i>let’s tidy up a bit.</i></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ginny tried, and failed, to hold back a smile when she yanked open the front door to find an infuriated Draco suspended three feet in the air just inside the front gate with three glowing red bands keeping him immobile.  Enjoying his frustration, she stood and watched him for a moment.</p><p>	“When you’ve finished being amused,” he said archly, “I would appreciate it greatly if you would release me.”  At that she gave a short laugh outright and whisked her wand, setting him gently on the ground.  The soft landing did little to ease his irritation.  "Could've opened the bloody wards since I sent word yesterday I was coming."  Ginny smiled even wider and led him through the front door where Kreacher was waiting, armed with his favorite cleaver.</p><p>	“Captain Malfoy is here to see Master Harry, Kreacher,” she said to the aging house elf.  “Please prepare some tea.”  The elf bowed low and disapparated with a sharp crack.  She moved aside for Draco to pass, then, closing the door behind them, she motioned for him to follow her.</p><p>	“Harry’s downstairs—likely he’s forgotten to mind the time, otherwise he would have remembered to adjust the wards.” They came to a door around the corner from the entry.  The second she opened it he blinked at the sound of intense, fast-paced drumming.  Raising her voice slightly, she continued “He’s not been able to play for a bit, so I’m not surprised he got lost in it.”</p><p>	Coming to the bottom of the stairs, Draco found himself immersed in a room devoted to music.  Unlike his studio at the manor, which was a private sanctuary, this room held comfortable places for people to sit while they listened to whoever was playing.  An assortment of guitars lined the walls, an electronic piano had a place of prominence, a cello sat next to a well-worn chair…but, at the moment, the room was dominated by the sounds coming from an enormous drum set that Harry was pounding on as if his life depended on it.  His eyes were closed, completely engrossed in what he was doing.  Though the drums were not his instrument of choice, he knew about being completely lost to the music.</p><p>	With a last, powerful cymbal crash Harry braced his hands on his knees and bowed his head, breathing heavily.  Drawing a deep breath, he slowly raised his head and addressed them quietly, his eyes still closed.</p><p>	“Sorry for not meeting you, Malfoy.  I’m not typically rude, but I wasn’t really focused on the time.”  Opening his eyes slowly, he got up and walked slowly toward them, dragging a hand through his hair.  Ginny pointed her wand at him and dried him off as he approached her, causing him to smile fondly at her.</p><p>	“Aw, c’mon.  Not in the mood for a sweat-covered hug?” he teased.</p><p>	“Eeew and no, respectively,” she said with a chuckle.  He gave her a quick kiss and gentle hug before she walked back up the stairs and he directed his attention to Draco.</p><p>	“What did you find?”</p><p>	“As suspected, the victims do not appear to be randomly chosen; many either have been or were connected to someone at the ministry.”  Harry jerked his head in the direction of the stairs, and they began to climb while Draco continued, “Some of them—like Granger—are very prominent, but others are not.  Craven, for instance, worked under the potions master here at the time that Voldemort took over the ministry but, rather than fight the Death Eaters at the time they attacked, he hid and, thus, survived.  When the time came for the trials to start, he gave up the names of a number of followers who helped storm the ministry.  Some of them had been insisting that they had been imperioused so the truth coming out did not make him particularly popular.”</p><p>	They had walked into the kitchen to find Ginny &amp; Kreacher preparing tea.  As Harry walked to the counter to help, a flash of movement at the edge of his vision caught Draco’s attention.  Hermione was in the courtyard but had her back to the door, engrossed in puttering around in the garden.  Her forest green sweater dress and black leggings covered almost every inch of her but were far more form fitting than her ministry robes and, therefore, absorbed him.  Realizing he was staring, he attempted to shift his focus back to the discussion at hand only to find that, when he shifted his gaze back toward Harry, Ginny was watching him closely while her husband and house elf were occupied with setting things on trays.</p><p>He felt himself blush slightly but, just when he was afraid she would say something, Harry asked, “Did anything get turned up on Fitzmarlow?  Nothing had been found the last time I was at the office.”</p><p>Giving silent thanks for being able to avoid any embarrassing questions, Draco answered, “The team didn’t bring back much out of the ordinary, but like as not that’s because they weren’t asking properly.” Harry looked at him with his brows raised and Draco shrugged.  “The kinds of people that Fitzmarlow was chummy with aren’t going to give up anything to anyone who looks even remotely like a ministry official.  I arranged to not look like a ministry official.”  </p><p>Harry studied him for a moment in silence before he resumed putting the last of the china on the trays.  Without looking up, he asked with false lightness, “Do you typically keep polyjuice potion about just in case?”  Draco smirked; somehow, he always underestimated Harry’s intelligence.</p><p>“I do not, but the potions master at the ministry does.  I asked for two vials, both of which I used.”  He paused for a moment as he crossed his arms over his chest and added, “You will be happy to know that I even filled out the appropriate form.”  Harry snorted.</p><p>“Hermione would doubtless disagree with me, but I don’t really care about paperwork much right now.  Come on then.”  With Kreacher muttering in distress behind him, he picked up one of the trays and walked past Draco, who, unnoticed by Harry, had moved his gaze back to the garden in time to see Hermione bend over to pick up a flowerpot, thus giving him a picture perfect view of her backside.  <i>Merlin’s beard,</i> he groaned inwardly.</p><p>Turning to go, he stopped short when he found his path blocked by Ginny leaning on the doorframe, watching him closely.  She stood just a moment and then walked toward the garden door, the last tray lifting and floating in front of her.  Just as she reached the doorknob, she paused and fixed him with a level look.</p><p>“Whatever you’re up to, Malfoy, I suggest treading <i>very</i> carefully.”</p><p> </p><p>Oblivious to the goings on inside the house, Hermione was just finishing up adding some lights to the garden when she heard the door open and turned.  A tea tray floated through with Ginny right behind it.  When she saw what her friend had been doing, she walked to the middle of the space and turned a slow circle, her eyes shining, making Hermione smile widely in response.  She loved doing things for people, especially people close to her.</p><p>After decades of neglect, the garden had needed some serious attention.  Once the stone walls and raised flower beds had been repaired, she lifted the stains from the flagstone and rearranged the ones on the ground to form a sunburst pattern.  Weeds, dead shrubs and errant clumps of grass had been magically decomposed and added to the soil to feed whatever plants Ginny chose to put in.  At the far end she had erected a pergola under which she had placed some comfortable lawn chairs and a fire pit.</p><p>“It’s perfect,” she said in a hushed tone.  Then, enveloping her in a fierce hug, she continued, “I just expected to talk about it over tea.  But this,” she waved her hand to indicate the new garden, “this is beyond fantastic!”<br/>
Hermione gave Ginny another fierce hug and they sat down to have their tea.</p><p>“I’ve always loved to create things, to grow things,” said Hermione, her eyes sparkling.  “It makes it all the better when I get to create for someone that means so much to me as you do.”</p><p>Looking at each other with happy tears in their eyes, they savored their bond for a moment.  As she poured the tea, Ginny held her silence until she handed Hermione her cup and then voiced her thoughts as she studied her friend with a look of intense concern.</p><p>“You’ve not been taking care of yourself,” she said quietly.  Hermione looked at her fingers as she picked at the corner of her napkin.  “It’s like you’ve been losing yourself little bits at a time and we didn’t know how best to help.  We’re really worried about you, you know.”  Drawing a slow, deep breath Hermione looked up, heartbreak etched on her face.</p><p>“I know.  I’m sorry I’ve worried you and Harry so much.”  She waved her hand helplessly.  “I’ve never felt like this; not even when we were on the run with Harry.  Almost everything around me was falling apart and I couldn’t wrap my mind around anything; I felt so lost.” Closing her eyes for a moment she drew another deep breath and, when she opened them again, Ginny was thrilled to see some of the fire back in her friend’s eyes.  “But I don’t now.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Music is a huge hobby and influence for me so I definitely took the opportunity of introducing it to a number people in the story, Harry likely being one of the more surprising places it pops up.  I often wondered what things Harry might be interested in other than Quidditch.  If he played instruments, what could I see him playing?  Would it be something that everyone knew he could do or something he only shared with the people he was close to?  So many possibilities...</p><p>Many thanks to all of you for taking the time to read my work--it is very much appreciated.  I hope you continue to enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it! :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Trying to shift the image of Hermione’s well-rounded derrière to the back of his mind for the moment, Draco walked through the doorway of the study and stopped short, his wariness jumping several notches.  As Harry opened the drapes to allow the morning light to fill the room, Kreacher was arranging tea things on a table next to which sat the Minister of Magic.  Kingsley had looked up as he entered and addressed him with a slight smile.</p><p>	“No need to look so concerned, Mr. Malfoy.  Come in and take a seat.”</p><p>	Walking in and taking the seat facing the minister, Harry followed suit and took his seat between them facing the fireplace.  Kreacher finished arranging the service and looked at Harry for further instruction.</p><p>	“Thank you, Kreacher,” he said, “Please ward the doors closed when you leave and keep an eye on the girls.  I’m not expecting to take a very long time discussing things, but even if it were only for a few minutes I would feel better if you were keeping an eye on them.”</p><p>	Drawing himself up to his full height, the aging house elf gave a curt nod and vanished with a crack as the pocket door slid silently closed and began to glow with a faint, bluish light.  Satisfied that they would not be disturbed, Harry began to pour tea and addressed Draco as he passed out the cups.</p><p>	“Would you mind repeating for Kingsley what we were just discussing?”</p><p>	Redirecting his attention to the minister, Draco recounted his findings.  Kingsley listened quietly, eyes closed and brow slightly furrowed.  Expecting a barrage of questions when he had finished, he looked quizzically to Harry when the minister remained motionless.  Harry shook his head and sipped his tea, indicating that Draco should do the same.  After another prolonged moment of silence, Kingsley opened his eyes and asked, “How were you able to get information on Fitzmarlow?”</p><p>	“I reasoned that the most effective way to ask questions was to look as little like a ministry official as possible.  That said I couldn’t look like anyone that any of his confederates could be targeting so I flooed over to the family summer home long enough to acquire some hair from two different vagrants and then obtained two vials of Polyjuice potion from the potions master.  Asking questions was the easiest part of the ordeal.”  He shifted his focus as Harry asked the next question.</p><p>	“Where did you go looking for information?  You had to have a pretty clear idea where you were headed before you changed your appearance since the vials would not have lasted more than an hour.” Draco nodded in agreement.</p><p>	“Camden was first.  The last I had heard he’d had a flat not far from there and, with disappearances in that area, I wanted a closer look.  He was one to favor expensive things, but his spending was more than even his parent’s coffers could stand so they limited his funds and he started looking for other ways to get what he wanted.  Had he stayed in the wizarding world, the value of his acquisitions would not have attracted much attention but it doesn’t go unnoticed when someone in Chelsea that does not appear to work has a well-furnished flat and the best clothes.”</p><p>	“Why live near Muggles at all?” Kingsley asked thoughtfully.  “If he hates them enough to help kill them and those who are affiliated with them you would think he’d stay as far away as possible.”  Draco snorted.</p><p>	“Oh, he definitely despised them,” he confirmed.  “So much so that he decided that it didn’t matter if he stole from them to get what he wanted.  In the wizarding world, with houses warded heavily against intruders he couldn’t get around having his funds limited.  Muggle neighborhoods, however, are a different matter entirely.  Magic could easily get him anything he wanted and, since he had long outgrown The Trace, no one would be alerted when he used magic as long as the muggles weren’t present.  If it looked like muggle thieves had committed the crime there would be no reason for a wizard to be suspected, let alone him.”  Watching him carefully, Harry saw the smallest hint of Draco’s old, self-satisfied smirk cross his face.</p><p>	“Yet you knew he had been in Camden.  How?”  The smirk was there in full force now.</p><p>	“As I said, his love of expensive things was well known.  What was <i>not</i> well known is that he couldn’t apparate.”  He couldn’t help but enjoy the stunned looks he received from both men.  He relished it a moment and then continued.  “He didn’t have access to the floo network so any time he needed to travel quickly he had to side-along, which he would not have reliable access to.  For regular travel he’d usually use a broom, but he couldn’t transport much that way even if he shrunk it down.  Because of this, he was likely to steal from places around where he lived so he could get the items to his place faster and he would have to use muggle methods to transport it.  People willing to do that kind of job can usually be bought for information as well.  Such was my good fortune that I located some of his runners.” Kingsley drew a slow breath as he considered this information.</p><p>	“This all describes the man’s lack of scruples and anti-muggle sympathies, but how do we know what part he played in the crimes we’re investigating?”</p><p>	“Because his most recent acquisitions were antiques that came from the homes of the last two muggles that ended up dead.”  Draco stared at his empty teacup in silence for a moment, then he got out of his seat and began to slowly pace, no longer able to sit still.</p><p>	“It was too big a coincidence that he would just happen to have a lot of one of a kind items from the homes of two households where the owners had been so brutally killed with the aid of magic.  He had to be involved from the beginning, had to know that the houses would be uninhabited and he could pick whatever and as much as he wanted without it being missed.  On top of that, the two victims in question were tortured and killed by spells involving fire, which were favorites of his.  Lastly, he was at the hotel where Granger &amp; I were ambushed when there was no conceivable reason for him to be there.”</p><p>	“Could the runners have participated as well?” Harry asked.  Draco shook his heads.</p><p>	“No.  They were down and out thieves, but muggles and not interested in anything but stealing.”</p><p>	“How do you know?”  Kingsley said with a deep frown.</p><p>	“Veritaserum,” Draco replied directly.  Harry closed his eyes and drew a deep breath as he said a fervent prayer that the information Draco had found out would be enough to make the minister overlook using such a powerful potion on muggles.  Kingsley studied him in tense silence for several heartbeats and, when he spoke again, the intensity of his stare and steel in his voice left no room for argument.</p><p>	“In the future, Mr. Malfoy, you will refrain from using any magic on muggles without ministry authorization.”</p><p>	“Understood, Minister,” Draco said with a nod.  Kingsley rose and Harry followed suit, Kingsley addressing him as he made his way toward the fireplace.</p><p>	“See if you can turn up anyone that this Fitzmarlow might have had a falling out with that might be part of the same organization.  Whoever he was working with would have known that he couldn’t apparate to escape and yet he was left behind to fend for himself when Hermione &amp; Malfoy arrived.  It’s possible that someone bearing a grudge might be careless about reveling in his demise.  Additionally, since he did not get away, he will have to be replaced within their organization and it’s not like they have a wide circle of people to choose from.”  He grabbed some floo powder from the jar on the mantel and asked, “How is Hermione?”</p><p>	“Much better.  She woke up and ate well at breakfast,” Harry’s mouth quirked up as he chuckled before adding, “though she’s likely up to something by this time as she can’t bear to be still if she isn’t reading.”  Kingsley chuckled quietly with him.</p><p>	“I have a meeting to attend or I would visit with her.  She’s worried me a lot lately—I’m glad to hear she is improving.  Be sure to give her my best.”  Harry smiled warmly and the two shook hands.</p><p>	“Absolutely.”  His brow furrowed slightly.  “I didn’t think there were any meetings on for today.”</p><p>	“I am meeting with the Head of International Magical Cooperation to review the latest preparations for the Wizarding World Summit.  The dinner was the easy part to organize; getting the details worked out of where we can all meet to discuss this crisis is another matter.”  Harry nodded solemnly and Kingsley looked to Draco and extended his hand, which Draco took after a brief hesitation.</p><p>	“You’ve done excellent work, Mr. Malfoy, slipping potion to some unsuspecting muggle notwithstanding.  It may not seem like much, but it gives us leads we can follow where we previously had only guesswork and victims.  Only some of this information is to be released to the squads, however, not all.” He drew a calming breath as he cast quick glance at Harry.  “Coincidence very likely has little to do with the fact that many of the victims have been either prominent in Voldemort’s downfall or related to those who were.  This someone has thus far managed to evade detection and that shouldn’t be the case given the magical precautions we’ve taken as well as the patrol system.”</p><p>	“How long have you been suspecting a traitor?” Draco asked.  It was Harry who answered him, a strained expression on his face.</p><p>	“When Hermione’s parents were killed.  The disappearances did not appear to be linked at first, but Hermione being who she is noticed the anti-Voldemort connection that we had missed.  She gave a press briefing that announced the start of the patrols; her hope was that people would feel safer and, if we were lucky, notice something that we could use to catch the people responsible.  That same night she had to respond to her parent’s murder.  It was not common knowledge that she had found her parents and restored their memory.  It was not likely a coincidence that she would make that kind of announcement and two of the people that mean most to her are brutally murdered almost immediately.  For the attackers to have made them a target they had to have knowledge that came from within the ministry.”  Draco mulled this over for a few minutes, looking from one to the other before addressing Harry with no small amount of frustration in his voice.</p><p>	“What steps have been taken to find them?”</p><p>	“The easiest to clear were the squad captains.  Hermione enchanted the rings that they wear so that we would all know if they betrayed us.  Do you remember my telling you that the captain’s rings are all enchanted so they can be traced?” Draco gave a curt nod.  “They also carry two others.  The first is that, once put on, the ring cannot be removed unless the one wearing it is demoted.  Secondly, anyone to knowingly divulge any information to a spy would have the word “traitor” appear across their forehead. It worked in our fifth year, we figured it would work again.”</p><p>	Draco snorted softly.  “A bit juvenile, that, isn’t it?”</p><p>	Kingsley nodded sagely.  “Juvenile though it may be, they were the only ones that were eliminated from suspicion quickly.  Now we are trying to clear the rest of the squad members, but that’s not so simple.  The few we have cleared we have done so meticulously to try and prevent alerting the guilty person or persons that we suspect an imposter.  We want more than the informant; we want who they work for and that kind of search takes time.  And time,” he added gravely as he threw the powder into the fire, “is the one thing I feel we are running out of.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I have to say I like the idea of Draco being caught off guard, in this case by reporting to the minister when he thought he was just taking his information to Harry.  Draco being who he is, however, was able to recover quickly and keep right on rolling. ;)  Bringing in bits from the books--like Hermione's spell on the scroll for the DA--is fun as well.  Juvenile, yes...but effective nonetheless!</p><p>Thank you so very much to everyone that is continuing to follow the story--you are very much appreciated!  A special shout &amp; huge, huge thank yous to VM99, OneiroiLogoi, hatnguyen, DCNightwolf, ngelina, Margaret7188, Waterprincess17, nachosandjazz, and ditte3 for your kudos and encouragement--you are awesome!! :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Once Kingsley had left, Harry called to Kreacher to remove the ward from the door and remove the tea things.  As soon as Kreacher vanished, the door slid open to admit a beaming Ginny.</p><p>	“’Bout bloody time you opened that door!  I’ve been waiting to show you something.  Wait ‘til you see it—it’s amazing!”</p><p>Harry chuckled despite the worries on his mind; her happiness was always infectious.  Reaching out to give him a quick hug, she then took him by the hand and gave him a gentle tug to lead him from the room.  Draco followed behind them, anticipation making his pulse race slightly.  It took him a moment to realize that he was hoping to see Hermione again.  Reigning in his thoughts, he focused his attention on what was being said.</p><p>“…sent some messages on her little box and flooed home when we came back in.” Still holding Harry’s hand, she turned to face them walking backward smiling impishly.  “Wait ‘til she sees her surprise!  She tried to guess again before she left, but all I would tell her was that she had to look through the house for it.”  Harry laughed as she turned forward again.</p><p>“You realize that she’s likely to think it’s something small, like a book.”</p><p>“Even if that’s what she’s expecting at first, our Hermione’s pretty bright so I don’t think she’ll be looking for that long.”  They had reached the door to the courtyard.  “Take a look at Hermione’s present to us.”</p><p>Swinging the door wide, she led the men through where they immediately stopped, thoroughly impressed with what they saw.  Even without anything planted yet it was a serene, beautiful space.  Harry walked over and, placing his hand on one of the pergola’s posts, bent his head for moment and drew a deep breath.  Watching him, Ginny tipped her head slightly and looked at him quizzically and Draco, also puzzled, frowned slightly.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” she asked.  Straightening and turning to face her, she could see a gentle smile and emotion-filled emerald eyes looking back at her.  They waited only a moment for him to answer softly but with admiration evident in his voice.</p><p>“She’s out of bed less than a few hours, probably still wrapping her mind around what happened to her and this,” he waved his hand to indicate their surroundings, “this is the first thing she tackles; something for someone else.”  Shaking his head in wonder, his smile broadens.  “’Mione’s in a class all her own.”</p><p>Ginny smiled lovingly at her husband and stepped over to give him a kiss on the cheek.</p><p>“I think you both occupy that class, truth be told,” she said gently.</p><p>Moving his eyes away from the couple, Draco let his mind dwell on Hermione as he took in the details of her handiwork.  Harry had been right—she had more than enough going on to occupy her attention, yet there was not a detail of her gift to them that had been overlooked.  He smiled slightly as he noted that he was actually warm despite the time of year and it occurred to him that she likely put an environmental balancing charm over the area just to ensure everyone’s comfort no matter the weather.  She put care and thought into everything.</p><p><i>I wonder</i>, he thought, <i>what it would be like if she cared for me like that?</i></p><p> </p><p>Hermione felt badly that she couldn’t wait for Harry, but she really needed to get home.  She had answered her messages before she left and wanted to get back in case anyone arrived looking for her.  Smiling as she stepped from the hearth, she saw that Ginny had kept her plants watered and the house clean while she had been asleep.  Giving silent thanks for having them in her life, she began walking from room to room in search of the surprise they had alluded to.  Seeing nothing out of place or blatantly out in the open for her to notice, she climbed the stairs and stopped in the doorway of the spare room.  There, sitting regally in the far corner of the room, was the Black family’s antique grand piano, beautifully restored.</p><p>Standing next to it with a wide, awe-struck smile and shining eyes, she ran her hands lovingly over the housing and then gently sat down.  Once she raised the cover from the keys she played a C major chord, closing her eyes and relishing its flawless sound.  Her hands began to move and the tranquil notes of <i>‘Trois Gymnopedies’</i> began to drift through the house.  It had not been until that moment that she realized how much she had missed her music, how much she needed it.  As she played, she found her mind wandering to the silver eyes that had so intensely watched her in the infirmary.  Eyes that gave her more questions than answers.</p><p> </p><p>Setting down his glass of fire whiskey, Draco continued to stare up at the canvas in front of him.  He had painted her several times, but this was his favorite and the one he kept in his private study; something for his eyes alone.</p><p>The floaty, periwinkle blue robes had been a surprise; drifting gently around her as she moved, making her appear as though she were gliding rather than walking.  Normally out of control locks were pulled back into an elegant knot, showing off her graceful neck and fine features.  He had never noticed her that way before, but once he had he could not look away.  Pansy had hissed angry comments to him under her breath whenever she caught him watching her during the evening.  She had reminded him of something but he had not been able to place it until well after the ball had ended, just as he had finished a small sketch of the painting he intended to make of her.  Even now, the first lines of the poem drifted through his head as he stared at her face:</p><p>
  <i>She walks in beauty, like the night</i>
  <br/>
  <i>of countless climes &amp; starry skies;</i>
  <br/>
  <i>and all that’s best of dark &amp; bright</i>
  <br/>
  <i>meet in her aspect and her eyes</i>
  <br/>
  <i>thus mellowed to that tender light</i>
  <br/>
  <i>which Heaven to gaudy day denies.</i>
</p><p>Downing the glass in one toss he rose to pour himself another and paused to look out the window.  Scowling sightlessly into the distance, he thought back to the gentle touch he laid to her cheek the day she had healed the welts that had riddled his back.  <i>She could have allowed you suffer</i>, said a voice in his head.  <i>She could have looked at your wounds that day, told you that you deserved no less and walked right out again.  And she not only helped you, but she didn’t flinch when you touched her.  That counts for something, right?</i></p><p>Stalking back to the liquor cabinet he retrieved his glass and poured another generous measure of Ogden’s Finest.  Knocking that glassful back as quickly as he had the previous one, he turned and set the glass on the desk as he walked to his bathroom, removing his shirt as he went.  Perhaps a long shower would help him.  Releasing a frustrated breath, he climbed under the hot spray in an attempt to both sort through his thoughts and ease the tension in his muscles.</p><p>So many things were clawing at his insides he was not sure which to turn his attention to first.  The rocky history between them had a very good chance of keeping her from even considering more than a civil working relationship.  From what he had been able to observe of her in just a few days, she cared deeply but was an intensely private person in many instances; very difficult to read.  If he took the risk of telling her what he felt, what he wanted, she was completely capable of cursing him into oblivion out of sheer revulsion if she chose.  Glancing at the grey remains of his dark mark, he was forced to acknowledge that he might not need to say anything at all to repulse her—perhaps their history was enough in and of itself.  Complicating matters more, his jealously jumped exponentially whenever he thought of her being involved with anyone else.  </p><p>Persistently, his mind kept drifting back to touching her cheek.  He had not wanted to stop with that touch; pain he was in be damned, he had wanted to see if her skin were that soft everywhere.  But would she have allowed it?</p><p>Having finished his shower, he dried off with a wave of his hand and went to his closet in search of clean clothes.  Freshly dressed, he walked back to the mirror to put his hair in order and paused to study his reflection.  Looking steadily at himself, he thought about how much he had changed in the last few years, wondering if it would be enough for her to take a chance on him if he took the risk and pursued her.</p><p> </p><p>A cloaked figure stood motionless in the shadows of a huge tree next to the Hackney Downs playground.  Wishing she could be anyplace but here, she fumed silently as she waited.  Soft footsteps alerted her to his presence and she slowly turned to face the sound.  Although her features were hidden by her hood, the man approached her with caution; he knew he was in trouble and would have to tread carefully.</p><p>“Would you please tell me,” she began in a soft, icy voice, “why we need to meet in the middle of this muggle infested neighborhood so far from our base of operations?”</p><p>The man glanced around nervously.  He had thought it a good idea to meet here at first but now he was not so sure.</p><p>“I wanted to speak with you where we were not likely to be disturbed.  I—” She cut across him, her voice still soft, but now carrying a furious edge.</p><p>“You took an unnecessary risk.  One that not only jeopardized the cell’s discovery, but left a very large clue behind in the form of a dead associate.  Tell me,” she said with a patronizing tone, “do you remember my orders?”</p><p>Trembling from head to toe, he seemed to have lost his inability to speak.  At the nodding of his head, she tipped hers slightly to one side and took a step closer to him.  He stepped backward automatically, realizing that, for all that her voice was quiet, she was in a towering rage.</p><p>“You were told to take no chance of discovery; to lie low in the unlikely event that a patrol came snooping about.  Oh, but you couldn’t do that, could you?  No, you just had to indulge in a little torture for your own satisfaction, consequences be damned.  And you were not content to choose an ordinary member of the ministry; oh, no, you had to choose none other than the Assistant Director of Magical Law Enforcement.  Do you have any idea how much this complicates matters?  Do you have any idea how long we will now have to postpone our plans until the fervor over this incident dies down?”</p><p>“But she’s a primary target!” he insisted urgently.  “I knew it wasn’t time to eliminate her yet, but I thought—” She swiped her hand quickly and he whimpered in panic as he frantically felt the lower half of his face.  His mouth had disappeared.</p><p>“You didn’t think at all!” she snarled.  “Now damage control must be done if we are to carry out our plans.”  He sank to his knees in front of her, folding his hands as if pleading for mercy.  She watched him in silence for a moment and then made her decision.  Under her cloak, she silently slid her wand from her sleeve holster into her hand.</p><p>“There is no place in this organization for one who cannot follow orders.”  Eyes widening in panic, he hesitated a few seconds too long and his wand left his pocket and landed in her free hand.  “On the bright side, we will manage just fine without your carelessness.”</p><p>He staggered clumsily to his feet, and was instantly transfigured into a squirrel.  Chattering hysterically, he still attempted to run away but a green flash of light stopped him instantly.  Tucking her wand away again, she slowly stepped forward and looked down for a moment at the lifeless being at her feet.  The smallest of smirks crossed her lips as she kicked it into the grass for the vultures, spun on her heel and disappeared into the night.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Everyone deals with stress in their own way and I have the notion that Hermione is one of those people that needs to keep busy while she copes.  She's a planner, an organizer; someone who looks for something to set to rights when so much of her life is not.  In addition, her caring heart would point her in the direction of doing something for someone she loves so rehabbing Ginny's garden was the perfect outlet for her energy.  In contrast to that frenetic desire to work through her stress is the way the soothing, slightly melancholic music moves her to thoughts of Draco  (If you have not heard Erik Satie's "Trois Gymnopedies", here is a link if you would like to give a listen:  https://youtu.be/FyUNbrgLezI). </p><p>Thank you so very much for taking the time to follow my story.  You are very much appreciated!! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Hermione came back to the office the following Monday, Harry surprised her when he unexpectedly held the captains back after debriefing to ask if anyone had a suggestion for a secure location in which to hold an emergency meeting the following evening.  Draco had offered the manor for consideration on the grounds that admission was by permission only and therefore impossible to be infiltrated.   Everyone agreed this was an excellent option, though they were perplexed as to why they would need to hold a meeting somewhere other than the ministry.  When she asked him for an explanation, all Harry told her was that she would need to gather anything she thought was relevant and bring it along with her.  Hating to be kept in the dark, she seethed the rest of the day though she did as he asked.  He went to her house for a few minutes at the end of the day to speak with her about it, however, and she felt better once she understood his motives.</p><p>Tuesday passed without incident and, at the appointed time, Draco used side by side apparition from his office to take everyone past the wards.  He did not give any thought to the process until he took Hermione with him.  The instant they reached the manor, he felt her stiffen; her breathing became shallow and she stepped backward as far as the grip he had on her hand would allow.</p><p>Practically speaking, the most sensible room to use for the meeting had been the drawing room with its long table easily able to accommodate everyone in attendance.  It was also, however, the room his deranged Aunt Bellatrix had tortured her in and they had only just escaped from.  He cursed himself a fool for not warning her where they would end up before they left.  She said nothing, but her eyes were fixed on the floor, she had gone white as a sheet and was starting to shake.  Giving silent thanks that everyone else was occupied getting settled in for the meeting and, thus, not paying attention to her arrival, he stepped in front of her and gently squeezed the hand he still held.</p><p>“Granger,” he said softly—no response.  “Granger,” she looked up at him, eyes glazed in fear.  He reached up with his right hand and touched the side of her face.  “She’s gone.  She’s long gone and she’ll never touch you again.  Do you hear me?  She can’t hurt you.”</p><p>She closed her eyes and as she drew a shuddering breath, she reached up and covered his hand with her own.  Opening her eyes again she gave him a nod and released his hand.  He nodded back, stepped aside and she walked over to the end of the table and took the seat to Harry’s right while he took the one to his left.  As Hermione began getting her papers out, Draco began to shift his attention around the room only to discover Harry leaning back in his chair, watching him speculatively as he twiddled absently with a quill.  He met his gaze evenly, wondering what he was thinking.</p><p>Harry had been the first brought over to the manor as he wanted to best observe everyone as they arrived.  Despite the time that had passed, he had to grit his teeth to clamp down the feelings of fear and revulsion that sprang to the surface when he saw the room they were in.  He had not been in here since the night Dobby helped them escape.  Knowing that the room was chosen strictly for practicality prevented him from being angry, but he thought it would likely be a huge problem for Hermione.  Before he could ask Malfoy to change the room, however, he had disapparated again and the stream of people had begun.  He was not in the least surprised by her reaction when she arrived, but Draco’s response did.</p><p>Watching without appearing to do so, he watched as Malfoy had quietly calmed her down where once upon a time scathing remarks would have been the order of the day.  Nor, he noted, did she flinch at his touch.  Deciding to talk his thoughts over with Ginny later, he prepared himself to move to the task at hand.  He leaned forward to rest his forearms on the table and folded his hands in front of him.  Draco was impressed how such a simple movement silenced everyone at the table and made him the focus of everyone’s attention.</p><p>“I realize this is a little out of the ordinary,” he began, “but I felt it was too risky holding this meeting at the ministry.  Based on the victims to date and the lack of success we’ve had in discovering who’s behind this we’re sure that we have a spy—perhaps several—at the ministry.  Very likely at least one in our department.”<br/>There was a great deal of shocked, angry muttering at this announcement.  Harry let it continue for a moment but, as he was preparing to continue, Seamus made his voice heard above the rest.</p><p>“How d’ya figure there’s a spy just because no one’s been caught yet?”  All heads turned to hear Harry’s response.</p><p>“No one’s perfect; not even with the aid of magic.  Everyone can be expected to leave something behind or get careless—especially if it’s a large group of people you’re dealing with.  Yet, despite this fact, whoever we’re pursuing has been one step ahead the entire time.  Ahead of every patrol, even when we began changing the territories and not scheduling them ‘til the night before.  Attacks happening in areas patrols have already cleared, nothing we can use left at the scenes.  What few clues we do have came from the Carlton Court Apartments a few days ago, and that was chance.”  He let that sink in a moment.  “Now not leaving evidence for us may be an obsessive level of thoroughness but avoiding <i>every</i> patrol <i>every</i> night would not be possible without help.  Someone’s tipping them off.”</p><p>“Excuse me, sir,” Harry directed his attention further down the table to Danby, “how are we supposed to locate them?  It could be anyone; even one of us.”</p><p>Even angrier mutterings greeted this statement.  Hermione stood and they began to quiet down again, though not as quickly this time.  Picking up a small rectangle from the top of her stack of files, she tossed it toward the bank of windows where it grew to full size—her case board that was presented at debriefing.  As she walked slowly toward it, she addressed the angry group.</p><p>“No one in this room is a traitor.  We would have been aware of it instantly—never mind how, Seamus,” she said as he drew breath to ask the obvious question.  “The first issue that needs to be addressed is how we find the ones that are.  The second, and more important one, is finding out who they are working for.”  Lifting her hand to indicate the information behind her, she continued, “Somewhere in this collection of tragedies is a lead we can use to start tracking down the ones responsible.  There has to be something we are overlooking.”</p><p>“But there’s no connection between all of them other than the ways they’ve been killed!” said an exasperated Dean Thomas.  “We’ve been over the files millions of times and there’s nothing!”</p><p>“Not true,” said Draco quietly as he fingered his wand, staring intently at the board.</p><p>A few moments of stunned silence greeted him before Harry asked, “You wouldn’t care to explain that, would you?”</p><p>Draco glanced at everyone before he rose to join Hermione at her board.  Eyes still rapidly scanning the information, he addressed the group.</p><p>“The common thread running through all these cases is Voldemort,” he said evenly, “even those involving the muggles.  The connection with those who were witches and wizards was easy to make—they fought him openly, didn’t back the pure blood mantra he preached.  Connections to the muggles were harder to find.  Some were family &amp; close friends of well-known anti-Voldemort witches and wizards while others were related to people with strong ministry connections, but that didn’t account for all of them.  The remaining victims were squibs, and, as such, they would have been chosen because they were considered expendable; victims that were used to demonstrate that a powerful force still considered them unworthy for not possessing magical talent.”</p><p>Hermione, like the rest, had been watching him with rapt attention.  At his last comment, her brow creased with intense concentration and she asked a question that had occurred to several of them.</p><p>“I can understand how the people from the first two groups would be chosen targets, but how can anyone possibly tell whether or not someone is a squib?”  Draco looked at her, a troubled expression in his eyes.</p><p>“Someone went digging through the archives in the Department of Mysteries.”  Before she could respond, the room erupted in a multitude of confused, highly agitated conversations.  Snapping his eyes from Draco to the rest of the group, Harry slammed his palm on the desk with a loud bang that brought everyone up short.</p><p>“Enough!” he barked.  Silence reigned.  “The longer we delay reviewing this information just gives these sodding tossers more time to eliminate other people so all of you shut it and pay attention!”  Turning back to Draco, he continued with no small amount of agitation, “Are you telling me that there is a running list of people who didn’t inherit magical talent?”  Draco nodded and held up his hand to Hermione, who was drawing breath to speak, frown still firmly in place.</p><p>“Yes, but it’s not the squib equivalent to the Book of Acceptance though it’s almost as old.  The roster kept for squibs exists largely due to the wizarding parents of the children who were born without magical talent—it was never something mandated by the ministry.  For some it was as simple as a way to connect with others whose children could never perform magic, thus ensuring that they had companions that understood them.  Some wanted insurance that their children could never be falsely accused of magical wrongdoing.  The reasons it was used are as varied as the people listed there.  The major point of this revelation is that these lists were gathered into books and that the volumes have always been housed in the Department of Mysteries Archives.  These books are only accessed if someone wishes to add or remove his or her name.”  He began to pace slowly in front of the board as he spoke, something Hermione had noticed he was wont to do when thinking.</p><p>“I went to find these archives on a hunch that at least some of the muggles had to have a different connection to the wizarding world; the ones without a relative at the ministry had to fit in somewhere.  When I reached the shelves where they’re kept, not only was the newest volume put back out of sequence, but several of the older volumes had been disturbed when there would have been no reason to remove them.  Officially they are only used by the Unspeakables and even when changes need to be made they are never removed from the department.  Sure enough,” he stopped, turned back to the board and waved his hand causing the word ‘squib’ to appear with the other data under seven pictures, “when I checked through the most recent volume there were names present on the list of victims.  I verified with the head of the department that no one has requested the addition or removal of a name in quite some time, which means that someone in this building went hunting for them.”</p><p>Silence greeted this information; some made notes while others sat with their eyes closed, processing possibilities.  Seamus spoke up again, but thoughtfully this time.</p><p>“This gives us a way to start working on a matrix of possible targets, but I don’t see how it puts us on the trail of whoever sold us out.”</p><p>“It might, though,” said Harry softly, as he stared unseeingly across the room.  All eyes turned to him as he absent-mindedly tapped the table softly and then continued to speak, almost to himself.  “Knowledge of our department as well as access to the Department of Mysteries shortens the list of possibilities considerably—assuming, of course, there is only one traitor.  Everyone here is still cleared, so then who are we left with.”  He became silent again, but suddenly shifted his gaze to Hermione who, Draco saw, seemed to pick up on where his train of thought was going because her expression shifted rapidly from surprise back to her concentrated frown.  He then frowned slightly when neither expounded on their idea.  Instead, Harry asked Draco a direct question.</p><p>“Have you had any word on the solution you brought back to be analyzed?”  Draco shook his head.</p><p>“Both the lead apothecary and resident potions master are still trying to pick it apart.  Neither has ever seen the like of it before so they are proceeding with more than their usual caution in case it is spelled to violently resist attempts to tamper with it.”  Harry nodded.</p><p>“Understood.  Hopefully, they can break it down sooner rather than later so we can see about making use of it.”  Drawing a deep breath, he nodded at Hermione, who re-shrank her board, resumed her seat and pulled out her PDA, which she began typing on furiously.  Moving his determined stare to each of them in turn, he began to issue orders.  “Rather than try to keep gathering as one large group on a regular basis I’m going to break up you into smaller units so we hopefully don’t alert the spies that we’re looking for them or lose any more time in trying to figure these sods out. </p><p>“Finnegan, Thomas, Danby, O’Brian—start working on a matrix of possible targets based on the victims to date and maintaining the Voldemort connection; let’s see if we can’t outmaneuver them for a change.  Vance, Cavi, Muldoon, Quinn—patrols will now change daily and are not to be posted until the day of.  Rotate all team members and territories, make note of anyone who objects and why.  Norman, Landow, Kirchner, Andrews—I want our records gone through for anyone in our year or later that has a propensity for breaking the law, slanting toward arson, mutilation and or potions; we need a better idea of who possible enemies might be.  Since the ruling percentage of our parent’s generation that followed Voldemort’s mantra is either dead or in Azkaban we’re likely to be looking for someone brought up around them plus whoever’s been brainwashed into buying into that life.”  He quickly gathered up his notes and put them back in his briefcase.  Taking their cue from him, the captains all did the same and, when they had finished, he spoke to them again.</p><p>“Information is shared with the squads on a need to know basis.  A lack of information will make the spy desperate to figure out what the plans are and, hopefully, careless as they search.”  He turned to Draco and extended his hand.  “Malfoy, thanks for offering the manor for the meeting.  It was enormously helpful.”  Draco took his outstretched hand.</p><p>“Any time.  Meeting’s adjourned?”</p><p>“Everyone’s dismissed,” Harry confirmed.  “Report directly to Hermione or myself if you find anything and we’ll go from there.  Malfoy, would you mind getting everyone back to the ministry?”  Draco nodded and turned to Hermione.</p><p>“You first, Granger.”  She looked at him and nodded once.  Taking his hand, she gave it a gentle squeeze before they reappeared in his office at the ministry.  He immediately looked at her to see her close her eyes and take a slow, slightly shaky breath.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you alright?” he asked softly.  Nodding her head, she opened her eyes and turned to face him.  She looked at him steadily for a moment, then released his hand to lay hers on his chest.  A single tear ran down her cheek and, equally as quietly, replied.</p><p>“Thank you.”  Raising his hand to her face, he continued to gaze at her as he gently wiped away the tear.  She gave him a slight smile and said, “Goodnight.”  Turning away, she walked slowly out of the office and closed the door with a quiet click.  Draco ran his hand down his face and, as he apparated away to bring the next person back, wished he were leaving with her.</p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She hurried along dimly lit corridors until she reached the door she needed.  It was anyone’s guess how this was going to go.  Drawing a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, she raised her hand to knock only to have the door silently swing open before she touched it.  Knowing that her very life hung on the way this meeting went, she proceeded to walk deliberately and unhurriedly toward the table across the room from her.  It was too dark to see the faces of the others that were present, but she was not here to be social.  Ignoring all other occupants of the room, her gaze remained on the figure poring over a scroll with intense concentration.  No sooner had she drawn breath to speak when she was addressed in a deceptively innocent tone.</p><p>“I trust there is a perfectly sound reason for this interruption?”</p><p>Swallowing hard and forcing her fear aside, she watched her leader continue to read the scroll and answered in a soft, yet steady voice, “Yes, ma’am.  I felt that this was too important to wait for my usual audience.”</p><p>The eyes that had been studiously examining the parchment shifted to her and considered her silently for several moments.  Slowly setting down the document, she folded her hands in front of her and replied, “Continue.”</p><p>“Something went on last night; something out of the ordinary.  The captains, Potter and Granger all reported to Malfoy’s office and warded the door shut.  No one entered or left for almost two hours.  When the door opened again, everyone left quickly without speaking to each other or going to their offices.”  The eyes that watched her narrowed slightly, but did not waver.</p><p>“Malfoy’s office?” she mused aloud.  “Why use that traitor’s office?  He’s a lowly captain like the rest and only just started; Potter’s or Granger’s would be the typical ones to choose from.”  Still watching the woman before her, she leaned back in her chair and considered a moment before asking, “They didn’t discuss anything as they left?”</p><p>“Nothing.  Whatever was discussed in that office, it stayed there.  I waited several hours to see if anyone came back, but no one did.  They evidently are expected to come in as they usually do.”</p><p>Abruptly, the woman behind the table stood and walked slowly and silently toward her informant.  Stopping directly in front of her, she looked at her steadily and then placed a hand on her shoulder.  The people surrounding them seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for what she would say.</p><p>“Well done.” The tension began to ease.  “You were right to tell me this.  Be sure to alert me to anything else out of the ordinary, however small.”  Bowing her head briefly, the woman stared avidly back at her leader.</p><p>“Yes, ma’am.  Absolutely.”  A small smile and a nod were her reward.  Lifting her hand, only a small gesture was needed to start her now glowing spy toward the way she had come in.  Retracing the path slowly, she issued parting instructions in a conversational tone.</p><p>“Someone will let slip what is going on and you need to be ready.  Continue as you have been unless you are otherwise notified.  I will send any changes in the usual manner.  Good hunting.”</p><p>After the informant left, she closed the door softly and stood still for a moment.  When she turned around, she faced the group behind her with a sinister smile and a malevolent sparkle to her eyes.</p><p>“We have some changes to make.”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione was of the opinion that early morning was the best time to review evidence and write reports; the office staff was nowhere to be seen and the patrols weren’t due in for a few hours yet.  Determined to start piecing together the horrible puzzle they had on their hands, she had set the case files aside and collapsed her evidence board in favor of poring over the status reports she had requested from the head apothecary and resident potions master.  Each line was then compared to the findings listed on the coroner’s report for Fitzmarlow.  She knew that as yet there was no definitive answer as to what the potion was that Draco had located, but she felt the need to come at the situation from a different angle.<br/>
Laying the parchment aside, she rubbed her eyes for a moment and then leaned back in her seat.  It was maddening.  The solution was definitely a poison, but the only component that had been identified so far was the mistletoe and of all the substances that they were able to separate it was the smallest percentage of the sample.  Both the resident potions master and the lead apothecary were still tediously working through lengthy lists of possible ingredients, but they admitted that thus far they had seen nothing like it.</p><p>Picking up the pages that listed all the ingredients that had been eliminated, she started from the beginning.  <i>Every elixir, poison and antidote is a sum of parts,</i> she thought.  <i>Each piece has a role to play, a contribution to make for the desired effect.  No matter the source…</i></p><p>Her thoughts suddenly came to a screeching halt.  She stared off into space as insight hit her like a bolt of lightning.  Leaping from her chair fast enough to knock it over, she bolted from her office and sprinted down the corridor only just remembering to wave her hand to lock up as she went.</p><p> </p><p>Not far away, Draco landed hard on the mats with a sharp thud.  Within the first few minutes of the training session it occurred to him that learning these techniques might be harder than it originally sounded.  That had been an hour ago and he had since reached the conclusion that he would need to do more research on his own to pick up on this as quickly as possible.  Sore, slightly winded and exceptionally sweaty, he sat up and faced Harry with an expression that was at once belligerent and determined.  Also soaked and breathing heavily, Harry stepped forward and extended his hand.  As he was pulled to his feet, Draco nodded his thanks and studied his opponent thoughtfully.</p><p>“You’re tougher than you look,” he said.  “When did you decide to learn to fight without using a wand?”  Harry tossed him a towel and jerked his head in the direction of the locker rooms.  As they walked, Harry waved his hand and the pads they had used flew back to their hooks on the wall.  Chucking the towel down the laundry chute as he walked in, he headed for his locker as he answered.</p><p>“We started with Tai Chi after the war primarily to meditate.  Adjusting was hard and Hermione and I wanted to find any measure of peace we could.  As we progressed, we were also very pleased that it taught us defensive training that did not require wands.  Neither of us could cast wandlessly at the time and we learned the hard way that you may not always have it available when you’re in trouble.”  Draco frowned slightly, tamping down a surge of guilt as he dug through his locker for fresh clothes. 
 “After that, I learned Krav Maga and Hermione took up Tae Kwon Do.  Once we progressed to the point that we could instruct, we cross trained each other, then began teaching the squads.”  Draco’s brow furrowed still further, now out of puzzlement.</p><p>“Just you and Granger?  What happened to the last of The Golden Trio?”  He noticed a slight stiffening of Harry’s shoulders, the only indication that he had hit a nerve.</p><p>“Ron tried the Tai Chi for a while, but it didn’t help him as much as it did us.  He stopped a few months in.”  Draco digested that for a moment and, when Harry did not continue, he asked something that he had not had the opportunity to before.</p><p>“Speaking of Weasely, where the devil is he?  I thought he had aspirations of being an auror.”</p><p>Harry stopped in the process of pulling clean clothes out of his locker.  Draco watched his profile in silence as he stared off into space for a moment.  Closing his eyes briefly, he drew a slow breath and resumed gathering his work clothes and with a small twitch of his fingers caused them to hover near the showers.  Walking into a stall, he closed the door and chucked his clothes over the top.  Draco, thinking the subject closed, did the same when he heard Harry raise his voice slightly in response as the water roared to life.</p><p>“Ron and I joined the ministry immediately after the war, both of us as aurors.  We were on separate squads, but where I earned captaincy fairly quickly he did not.  He tried not to let on that it bothered him, but he was never successful about hiding how frustrated he was about it.  Hermione finished her last year at Hogwarts and joined the department as well.  Assigned to yet another squad, she also progressed quickly to captain and was simultaneously offered a position in the Department of Regulation &amp; Control of Magical Creatures.  Ron had still not been promoted.”</p><p>The water stopped and Harry, now wrapped in a towel, stepped out in a cloud of steam.  Casually waving his hand from bottom to top, he dried off and began to dress.  As he stepped from his own stall and turned to face Harry, Draco caught glimpses of a number of odd scars that stood out against a myriad of rather ordinary ones; two round ones on his right forearm, a large oval over his heart.  He opted to make no mention of them as Harry continued. </p><p>“It wasn’t that he didn’t work hard at it—he did.  His loyalty to us and dedication to the job were always tops, but it seemed to take a lot more effort for him to manage the more complex tasks than it did the rest of us.  He never got to the point he could lead a squad.  Eventually that, and some outside issues, got to be too much and he resigned.”  He turned to face Draco trying to keep a carefully bland expression but his eyes gleamed with smoldering anger.  “We did not part on the best terms.”</p><p>Throwing his gym clothes into his bag, he was about to ask what the other issues had been but did not have the chance.  Harry glanced at a band on his wrist and said that they needed to head up to get organized for debriefing, thus ending the discussion.  They walked steadily toward the exit, each lost in his own thoughts.</p><p>As soon as they opened the door to leave the training room, a figure hurtled past them without a backward glance.  Without a second thought, both men tore off in pursuit pulling their wands as they went.</p><p> </p><p>Rounding the last bend toward the potions department, Hermione pointed at the door she was rapidly approaching and spun her hand once in a clockwise direction, unlocking the doors so she did not have to miss a stride as she barreled through them.  Hearing the thunderous noise, a very elderly wizard in wine colored robes shuffled out of a side office to see her frantically searching for something on the shelves that held the substances currently being analyzed.  She was not aware of his presence until he spoke and caused her spin around in surprise.</p><p>“Assistant Director Granger!” he said startled, “You gave me quite a turn!  I thought I would be the only one here at this hour, but it appears you are in great need of locating something.  Can I be of assistance?”  She smiled gratefully at the aging potions master.</p><p>“Good morning, Master Summerby.  I’m so sorry to have launched in here this way, but I—”</p><p>At that precise moment, the doors banged open a second time to admit Harry and Draco both with wands drawn, causing both Hermione and Master Summerby to jump.  They both looked at Hermione with intense concern, but Harry was the first to speak.</p><p>“Are you all right?” he said tensely.</p><p>“Yes,” her head tipped slightly as she considered them, “but why do you have your wands out?”  They lowered their wands and this time it was Draco who spoke.</p><p>“We were just leaving the training room when you flew past like an ill-tempered skrewt was at your heels.  We expected trouble and followed you.”  He ran a slightly shaking hand through his hair.  “What the blazes were you running for?”  Hermione quirked an eyebrow at him, indicating she objected to the tone of his question, then, practically vibrating with energy, turned back to the potions master.</p><p>“Could you please fetch the sample that Captain Malfoy brought back and its board?”  Master Summerby frowned slightly.  Walking to the middle of the wall he reached for the top shelf.  Behind her, Harry shook his head, slightly amused, as he watched her fidget, trying to contain herself as the box was slowly retrieved and handed to her.</p><p>“But, ma’am, we’re not finished analyzing it yet!” he protested.  “We left you the reports you requested, but so far we have identified nothing other than the mistletoe.”  Hermione gingerly set the box on the table and, opening it, removed a small square that she gently tossed to an open space on the floor where it promptly turned into a blackboard.  The only notes on it were percentages from greatest to smallest and the one at the bottom of the list had ‘mistletoe’ written next to it.  Hermione picked up a piece of chalk, pondered for a moment, and began to write.</p><p>“Why the blackboard?” Draco asked.  Master Summerby turned to look at him.</p><p>“It is too cumbersome and too great a risk of error to try and separate notes for each sample on one huge board.  Each sample is catalogued and given its own board which we can expand or shrink as needed.”  Draco nodded and they turned back to Hermione, who was finishing her brief notes and muttering half to herself.</p><p>“Can’t believe I didn’t realize it earlier….so stupid of me not to think of it….”</p><p>“’Mione, you realize you aren’t making a whole lot of sense,” Harry said wryly as he holstered his wand.  She looked over to see him smirking at her in a knowing way and she smiled in return.  <i>Some things never change,</i> he thought. <i> Just like at school when she’d go tearing off to the library when a possibility struck her out of nowhere.</i></p><p>“Each of these,” she waved her hand in the direction of her list “is a result of the poison Fitzmarlow took; cerebral hemorrhage, cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, etc.  The sample of solution extracted from his stomach contains mistletoe, just like the sample that Malfoy located in the flat at Carlton Court.  This would seem to indicate that the poison may not be intended for the group’s targets, but, rather, as a way to keep anyone from revealing the organization should they ever be caught.”</p><p>“Yet no ingredient that’s been compared to the separated components has been a match,” reminded Draco.  “No source has had anything that either guarantees death or works that quickly.  Even the mistletoe; it’s hazardous and will make you sick, but you’d have to ingest a large quantity of the berries and go untreated for a great length of time for lasting harm or death.”</p><p>“Unless,” Harry said thoughtfully as he stared at the board, “the mistletoe is used only to link the other ingredients, allowing them to be mixed together when they otherwise might not.”</p><p>“But there is no record of any poison that uses mistletoe in that way,” puzzled Master Summerby.  “In all but a handful of potions suspensions are not required—the ingredients can be mixed completely with the correct process and amount of time.  Fewer than that contain mistletoe at all.”  The three of them watched as Hermione’s face lit up, clearly about to divulge something she considered monumental.</p><p>“That’s because the other components are not individual ingredients.  Each one is an individual poison, each with a different lethal attribute.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I always loved the image of Hermione bolting off to verify information and how she practically vibrates with excitement when she has information to share.  Her love of acquiring and using knowledge is one of the many things that make her such an enduring character.  I also liked the idea that Draco would challenge Harry to a little sparring thinking "oh, this shouldn't be too hard" and then realizing that he needs practice.  Can't be aces at everything! ;)</p><p>I hope everyone has a wonderful, safe weekend!  Thank you so much for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They stared at her, processing this possibility.  Master Summerby was the first to recover his voice.</p><p>“But if they are separate poisons would they not split still further?” he asked.</p><p>“They would if they were poisons that were manmade,” she said with a sparkle in her eye, “but if they are naturally occurring toxins—venoms—they would remain one component in and of themselves.  Magical creatures would be too easily traced so they would likely have used creatures from the muggle world and each would have been selected for the areas of the body that they would affect.  As a precaution, they were suspended in the mistletoe-based solution because the maker could not be sure that the venoms would not cancel each other out in some way.  Since potions are typically made only from animal body parts and different types of plants, it would be almost impossible to work out the composition and even less likely to come up with an antidote.  The only magical alteration that would have to be made would be to spell them individually beforehand to work in the same amount of time.  Since they would naturally have their own potency levels and be processed differently by the body, they would have to be enhanced to work instantaneously rather than over time.”</p><p>She gave a small, surprised squeal as Harry snatched her up in a tight hug and spun her around once, a huge grin on his face.  Draco did his best not to envy him the freedom he had to touch her.</p><p>“’Mione, you’re truly brilliant!” he said as he set her down.  “This will be a huge help in working out the people behind this.”  She blushed furiously and gave him a wide smile in return before turning back to the potions master.</p><p>“Master Summerby, do you think that compiling a possible list of venoms can be done with the references here at the ministry or would you need other sources of information?”  The elderly wizard, picking up on Hermione’s knowledge inspired rush, was already shuffling toward the board with a piece of chalk in his hand and a determined gleam in his eye.</p><p>“I will check my library, but anything I have isn’t likely to be current enough to give me the selection of creatures I would need to review.  I’ll reach out to Newt Scamander immediately.  He’s expanded his study of creatures to include non-magical species in recent years—trying to see what can be done magically to save them despite habitat destruction.  If he does not have any information himself, he will be able to at least point me in the right direction.”  Making some hurried notes about what kind of information he wanted, he then waved his hand and retrieved the shrunken board from the floor.  As he was about to set the box back on the shelf, Harry, suddenly serious, laid a hand on his shoulder to stop him.</p><p>“Please lock this in your office and discuss this case with no one going forward.  Only you are to work on this sample from now on and you must be careful not to let anyone see you do it.  If anyone presses you for information on its whereabouts or appears to search for it, alert one of us immediately.”  Master Summerby looked puzzled.</p><p>“But, Director, why so secretive all of a sudden?  There is no…” his sentence trailed off and his expression suddenly changed to one of grave understanding.  “Oh, I see,” he said softly.  “Yes, that drastically complicates matters.” Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Draco beat him to it.</p><p>“To keep yourself safe, deny even having it in your possession,” Draco told him.  “Should anyone notice that it is missing or ask if any progress has been made, tell them I came to remove it and you have no idea what’s become of it.”</p><p>Because he was looking at the potions master, he did not see the look that Harry &amp; Hermione gave each other.  They both knew that Draco was making himself a target should the spy go looking for any evidence in their possession.  Victims thus far had not included purebloods, but if the people they were up against realized that Draco was hindering their plans he could be the first.  Though his taking on that responsibility was as brave as it was unexpected, it made them both uneasy.</p><p>Harry looked at his watch and announced that they should head upstairs before more people arrived so they were not likely to draw attention to Master Summerby.  The aging wizard gazed at the door for a moment after they left before waving his hand absently at the shelves behind him so that the sample boxes rearranged themselves evenly.  There was nothing to give any indication that something had been removed.</p><p>Holding the now secret project tightly in his hand, he made his way to his office where he revealed a secret panel in the floor behind his desk.  Magically lowering it into its new hiding place, he then concealed it and sat in his chair to contemplate his next move.  <i>I must communicate with Newt</i>, he thought, <i>but what method should I choose?  How do I best avoid attention?</i></p><p>Closing his eyes, he steepled his fingers and mulled this question over.  Slowly he opened them a few minutes later as a small smile appeared along with an idea.  <i>Yes</i>, he chuckled to himself, <i>that will do nicely.</i></p><p> </p><p>Hermione walked between them as they made their way back up to the department.  As the rush of discovery wore off, she became increasingly aware of Draco's presence and, consequently, the confusion he caused came back as well.  Did he still think of her as a swotty know-it-all?  Was she still just another ugly mudblood?  Was he still a self-serving prat?  She wished she knew.</p><p>What she did know was that the attraction she felt to him made it difficult to focus on the task at hand.  He was never ugly, but she had noticed that his looks had improved even more in recent days.  No longer fighting the effects of the wounds she had healed, his complexion had lost the sickly yellow cast it had had.  Appetite clearly improved as well as he no longer had the drawn, sunken look about his face either.  <i>I wonder what the rest of him looks like now</i>, she wondered.</p><p>So lost was she in her train of thought that she started when Harry reached out and touched her shoulder as they rounded the corridor that led to their offices.  Now aware of her surroundings, she was realized that they were both looking at her in concern again.</p><p>“Did you hear me?” Harry asked gently.</p><p>“No, I’m sorry—my mind was wafting elsewhere.  What did you say?”</p><p>“I said Ginny wanted me to let you know that she’s popping by the office today and was planning on talking to you for a few minutes this afternoon.  Will you be available about one o’clock?”  She smiled and gave a quick nod.  “Excellent.  I’ll let her know.  We only have a few more minutes, but can we update your board before the squads start reporting in?”</p><p>“Absolutely.  Come on.”</p><p>She opened her office door and immediately broke out into a huge grin.  Sitting on her desk was a beautiful vase containing twenty-five multi-colored roses.  She walked briskly across the room while, behind her, Harry smiled and Draco frowned.  Looking over the bouquet, she selected one of the blooms and pulled it from the vase.  Magically shortening the stem, she then affixed it to the side of the high bun her hair was in and plucked up the small envelope propped against the vase.  Chuckling slightly as she read the card, she then leaned forward and took a long, slow breath in, reveling in the scent of the blossoms.  Still smiling, she tucked the note back in its envelope and then inside her handbag.</p><p>“That time again?” Harry asked, still smiling widely as he ferreted through a file drawer.  “I have to say that this is the most impressive bunch yet.”</p><p>“Aren’t they?   They’re called Kaleidoscope roses.  I only saw these quite recently and in passing at that.  I’m not surprised he remembered though; he has a mind like a steel trap.”</p><p><i>He?</i>, thought Draco.  <i>Who the bloody hell is ‘he’ and why is he sending her roses?</i></p><p>She pulled her PDA out of her bag and set about rapidly tapping on the screen.  Only a minute after her last tap, the device chimed and she read something that made her smile again.  Seething with jealousy, Draco watched her put it back and then wave her hand to conjure her board.  Preoccupied with trying to puzzle out who her admirer was, he was not aware that she had stopped in the act of reaching for her wand and was watching him closely.  His eyes snapped to her face as she addressed him.</p><p>“What’s the matter, Malfoy?” Harry also turned to look at him quizzically.</p><p>“I was wondering how that got in here when the door was warded shut.”</p><p>“Oh, through the floo,” she answered distractedly.  Pulling out her wand she began writing in the air and words began showing up on the board next to Fitzmarlow’s name, detailing the new information Draco had compiled and the course of investigation regarding the poison that killed him.  Harry then handed her the file he’d been holding and, looking at it, she began restructuring how the victims were showing arranged.</p><p>Draco stood in silence and focused on her rather than the information she was busy reorganizing.  He could not believe he had ever found her ugly; she was quite the opposite.  Face flushed and her brow furrowed in concentration, he found her captivating.  Moreover, having been in crowded rooms with her numerous times since he accepted the post, he noticed that there were a number of men that watched her hungrily and was aware that he was not the only one to find her so.  But could he do anything about it?</p><p>“That’s the lot,” she said, flipping the file shut.  She turned to Harry and raised her brows slightly.  “I assume we say nothing as of yet?”  Harry nodded.</p><p>“We’ll wait until we have something more definitive on the poison and then meet only with the captains again, which will also give them the chance to let us know if there is anything that has caught their attention with the squads.”</p><p>“Speaking of which,” said Draco, “we’d best get moving.  First one will be in the debriefing room any second.”  Hermione looked at Harry as she vanished the board.</p><p>“You’re meeting with Kingsley this morning, right?”  Harry heaved a sigh and ran a hand through his hair.</p><p>“Yeah, that was scheduled even before the most recent developments.  At least there’s something positive to recount this morning.”  He tipped his head toward the ceiling and closed his eyes.  “Merlin’s beard but meetings drive me mad.  They’re worse than sitting though Binns’ lessons.”  Hermione gave a little chuckle.</p><p>“On the plus side it should be a short one.  He has to meet with the Department of International Magical Cooperation at nine thirty.”  Harry shot her a look that told her plainly that that was no consolation whatsoever and she chuckled again.  “See you when you’re finished,” she said with a smile.  He pulled a face at her, nodded to Draco and left.</p><p>Still smiling, she picked up her clip board, opened the door and looked at Draco.  Taking his cue, he walked through the door and she locked and warded it behind them.  They walked the corridor in silence, Draco wishing he could think of a tactful way to ask who had sent her the flowers yet thinking of none.  Similarly, Hermione was trying to come up with an unobtrusive way to find out what he thought of her and, likewise, was unable to think of anything other than asking a direct question.  Preoccupied with their own frustration, they met the first squad and attempted to focus on the task before them rather than each other.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I think Draco would definitely be that person to step up and voluntarily take on personal risk the more he gets comfortable with where he is.  The lean toward deeply buried courage that he doesn't know he has is something that I can see being his natural tendency now that the preservation of himself and his parents at all costs is no longer his driving force.  It might even help Hermione make up her mind!  For his part, Draco might be moved to try and win her trust faster if he's concerned about the possibility of competition. ;)</p><p>Thank you so much for reading and I hope you continue to enjoy it! :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Debriefing took very little time as there was no unusual activity to report.  Anxiety hung heavy over them, each knowing that this absence of disaster was only temporary.  Telling everyone that there was nothing new to report on their end either, Hermione dismissed the squads and pulled Draco &amp; Melanie aside.</p><p>“With a temporary group now assigned to Squad 4’s section of the city we can get back to your training.  Given the state of things, we’re going to keep it confined to morning hours so that you can participate where you can on the investigation in house as well as go out on assignment as needed.”  Both nodded their understanding.  “Today I’d like to start testing your knowledge on the different skill sets we need on the job and see where you stand, which will determine how much work you’ll need to put in before your assigned.  In your case, Castner, it will determine your primary role within the squad.  For you, Malfoy, it will determine how quickly you lead a squad and who will be assigned to you.”  She headed out of debriefing and began making her way to her office, Draco and Melanie following in her wake.</p><p>“Are the teams built on scores alone?”  Melanie asked.</p><p>“Initially they are, but then you’re given assessments as a unit to see how well you function or if you don’t at all.  Adjustments are made from there.”  Draco’s brow furrowed slightly.</p><p>“Has that ever been known to backfire?  Cause resentment that someone never works out with anyone they’re paired with?”  Hermione took a moment as she considered her answer.</p><p>“Not with the majority of people we deal with.  You see the point isn’t to kick people out—ours is a very high risk job that carries a lot of pressure and, since there aren’t usually an overwhelming number of people signing up for our department, we welcome the chance to get help.  The training and assessments are hugely beneficial for the recruits themselves as well as for us.  They may decide once they start training that field work is where neither their talent nor ambition truly lie; they may get more satisfaction out of analysis and end up with someone such as Master Summerby rather than getting a squad assignment.  As such, they are more driven to succeed and a greater asset to the department as a whole.”  She waved her hand to unlock her door as they approached it, saying quietly, “There are occasional exceptions, of course.”</p><p>Before he could ask her to elaborate, her fireplace blazed green and they all turned to see Ginny step into the room.  Hermione smiled at her and introduced her to Melanie, who returned the greeting enthusiastically.  A huge fan of the Harpies, she was thrilled to meet a star player from her favorite team.  After greeting Draco with a smile that he couldn’t help but return, Ginny turned to Hermione with a rueful expression.</p><p>“I’m sorry to barge in on you, Hermione, but I had some appointments get moved about and my only free time was this morning.”</p><p>“No worries, I have a few minutes since debriefing wrapped early."  She took some files from one of her desk drawers and then faced Ginny again.  "What’s going on?”</p><p>“First, I wanted to ask if you were ready for Saturday.”  Hermione’s brow furrowed for a moment and then her expression shifted to one of slight panic, making Ginny laugh outright.  “Thought so.  I’m coming to fetch you about 9 o’clock and we’ll get that taken care of.  Secondly, are we to bring anything when we come over in two weeks?  I know it’s a bit early to ask, but I want to be sure I leave myself plenty of time if I need it.”</p><p>“Whatever you want.  My plan was to set it up so we can all take whatever we’re in the mood for.”  She smirked as she continued gathering the tests she needed.  “If we run true to form there won’t be much left when we’re done.”</p><p>“Truth.”  She checked her watch.  “Well I’m off.  I swear I never have the time to get done everything I want in the course of a day.” As she turned to leave, she stopped to admire the vase on the desk.  “Stellar flowers, by the way.  He outdoes himself every year.” Hermione smiled and traced one of the blooms gently.</p><p>“I tell him every year not to make a fuss only to have him outdo himself the next.  Can’t say that I have a problem with it though—it always makes me smile.  We’re grabbing lunch later, but he won’t tell me where we’re going.”  Ginny gave her another hug and turned for the fireplace.</p><p>“When you see him tell him we said ‘hello’ and to not be such a stranger.”  She tossed the floo powder in, called out St Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies &amp; Injuries and was gone.  With a slight chuckle and a small shake of her head, Hermione magicked two desks and chairs that were larger versions of what they had at Hogwarts.  Momentarily distracted from the puzzle the roses presented, Draco smirked &amp; raised an eyebrow as he sat down.</p><p>“Did you want to take roll as well?”  Melanie chuckled as Hermione rolled her eyes and smiled.</p><p>“Only if you prefer it.  With only two of you testing it’s easier to have you take them in here so I can get caught up on some of my other work at the same time.  I have a piece of legislation on house elves to review.”  She handed them each a narrow blue cylinder with a taper and minute hole in one end.</p><p>“What’s this then?” Draco asked as he turned it over in his fingers, his brow slightly furrowed.  Melanie gave a short bark of laughter and Hermione snorted as she laid their first evaluations in front of them.</p><p>“It’s a pen, Malfoy,” Hermione answered as she pressed the top end and with a slight click something stuck out the hole.  “It’s a muggle device; the equivalent to having a quill you never have to dip in ink.”  </p><p>Giving a slight nod he took a closer look at the paper in front of him as he asked, “What’s the first evaluation?”</p><p>“Muggle Interaction.”  He glanced up and saw her watching him with a slight smirk and he gave a small smile in response before returning to the evaluation.  Clearly she expected him to do pretty poorly with this, but he was determined to exceed her expectation.  It would not be easy--he had very few dealings with wizards in recent years, much less muggles--but, though he gave every indication of focusing on the questions in front of him, his mind kept circling back to the mysterious man in Hermione’s life.  Clearly his assumption that she was with missing member of the Golden Trio was erroneous, but that left a more pressing question.  <i>If it’s not Weasley</i>, he pondered, <i>then who the devil is it?</i></p><p> </p><p>“I won’t do it!” Harry all but shouted.  Having just leapt from his chair, he now paced Kingsley’s office to try and walk off at least a portion of his anger.  He can’t possibly be serious, Harry fumed.</p><p>“Harry, he did not mean to give personal offense.  It was just a suggestion—” soothed Kingsley.</p><p>“Suggestion my arse!” Harry raged as he whipped around and leveled a finger at the older man.  “There is no way you or anyone else is going to convince me that that’s an option.  This mess is getting worked out without resorting to that.”</p><p>Pinching the bridge of his nose, Kingsley closed his eyes briefly and breathed a sigh of frustration.  He was not a man given to snap decisions; he much preferred planning and analysis to get results.  This levelheadedness had served him well as first an Auror and then as Minister of Magic, but this crisis was beginning to make him wonder if a bold move would be more effective in bringing their prey into the open faster and, as such, save more lives than trying to outthink them.  Even though the idea was not his and he typically refused this manner of action, he could not shake the persistent fear that they had very little time to work with.  He lowered his hand, opened his eyes and looked back at Harry, exhaustion and deep concern written across his face.</p><p>“Harry, whoever these people are they are only biding their time—you know this.”  Harry gave a curt nod.  “The longer we wait the less likely we are to be prepared.  Your people are dedicated, but they can only function under this level of tension for so long before they either break or become lax and we cannot afford either scenario.  We cannot openly ask for volunteers for fear it could tip off who we are pursuing, which means putting someone out there as a target that they would have a hard time passing up.  Ginny being pregnant eliminates you—she will be less able to defend herself shortly and will need you more than she is aware.  That leaves Hermione.  She has character beyond reproach, is more than capable of taking care of herself and the only other choice for such an assignment.  There is no question that she would have the final say in the matter—you know that I would never condone putting anyone in harm’s way without their knowledge.  You know also, I would hope, that I would not even have entertained this as a choice if I didn’t think something drastic had to be done.  I care about both of you deeply, but my personal feelings can’t be brought into this.  If there is any plan that can stop this madness before anyone else dies it needs to at least be considered.”  </p><p>Seething with anger, Harry walked slowly and deliberately across the room until he stood directly in front of Kingsley’s desk.  Though he didn’t move, Kingsley eyed him warily; he’d known Harry since he was in his teens and had rarely seen him as angry as he was now.</p><p>“Under absolutely no circumstances,” he said softly, “will anyone—<i>least</i> of all Hermione—be used as bait to catch these bastards.”  Turning on his heel, he strode from the office and banged the door behind him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello, everyone!  I'm sorry this is such a short chapter as well as a long time coming--thank you so much for your patience!</p><p>Hermione slipping into professor mode only to be interrupted by Ginny was a lot of fun to write.  I see her personality as one that can quickly adapt to whatever is required of her, sliding back and forth between functional and frivolous with ease.  (Like how she needs Draco &amp; Melanie to progress with the evaluations but she can't resist using muggle pens instead of quills and ink.. ;) )  Draco trying to beat her opinion of his (lack of) muggle knowledge while trying not to be distracted by the burning question of where the roses came from was a bit of a challenge because I wanted to allude to his train of thought rather than delve in at the moment.</p><p>I'm a huge, huge fan of Kingsley and I love that he's so dependable, always taking the calm methodical approach to situations.  I wanted to see the flawed side of that a little, though, hence his interaction with Harry.  Though the suggestion they're discussing wasn't his, the persistent fear that he is failing in his responsibility to protect is causing him to consider a course of action he otherwise would not.  Fear, like anger and jealousy, are not the best things to influence our actions but it happens to everyone eventually--even Kingsley.</p><p>Huge, huge thank yous for continuing this journey with me.  I really appreciate you and hope you continue to enjoy the story! :D</p>
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<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Perfect,” said Hermione as she collected the last of the morning’s exams.  “I’ll get these reviewed as soon as possible and get you the results before you take the remaining two evaluations.”  Melanie stretched and drew a deep breath while Draco rubbed his eyes and yawned hugely.</p><p>“These are worse than N.E.W.Ts, Granger.  I’m surprised you don’t have more people give up the second they start the first one.  Are you trying to scare people away?”  Hermione snorted.</p><p>“If they can’t take the training, they’re not going to make it at all,” she replied matter-of-factly.</p><p>“I thought that the training period was a minimum of three years,” Melanie asked, her brow furrowed slightly in confusion.</p><p>“It used to be, but one of the first things Harry did when he became head of the department was to modify the training process.  He still wanted the same standards but decided there had to be a more efficient way than the plan that was in place.  After the war ended, we were horribly short-handed all over the ministry but especially our department and we didn’t have the luxury of waiting years to replenish our ranks.  He asked me for a list of what staff I thought we needed, he prioritized which positions needed to be filled first and we worked together to streamline the process based on what the positions required.”</p><p>As Draco and Melanie stood, Hermione vanished the desks and chairs with a wave of her hand, and then proceeded to file their evaluations into bins on her desk.  She continued to put things away and lock drawers as she continued.</p><p>“There are some candidates that do still end up training for extended periods based on the knowledge that they come in with, but by in large we can get people where they are most suited in a few months at most.”  Having finished clearing her desk, she looked up at them with a smile.  “You’ve both done really well.  There’s no patrol work for either of you today so when you’ve finished with lunch, you’ll be free to either use the training rooms or check with Tessa to see if any of the in-house staff could use a hand.  Dismissed.”  She walked around her desk, unfastening her robe as she went.</p><p>Melanie smiled and nodded then left the office, but Draco lingered.  As her back was turned, she missed the way his eyes raked her body hungrily from top to bottom.  His eyes then darted to the roses briefly as he tried to think of the most innocuous way of finding out who had sent them to her, when she glanced at her watch, a slight frown creasing her brow.</p><p>“I wonder where he got to,” she muttered quietly.</p><p>“Where who got to?”</p><p>“Harry.  He knows I’m leaving for a bit and we always make sure at least one of us is in the department these days.”  She hung her robes in her closet and removed a raincoat.  Turning to face him, she said, “As a rule he typically—”</p><p>A colossal bang from the hall made them both jump.  Yanking her door open, she saw Tessa looking at Harry’s office with an expression of complete shock.  Glancing at the door and back to Tessa, Hermione asked, “What the devil was that, Tessa?  Was that Harry?”</p><p>Nodding dazedly and still looking fixedly at the door, Tessa answered in a bewildered tone, “Yes and I have to say I’ve never seen him in such a temper!  He’s always so level-headed, even at the worst of times.  I heard his lock click and looked up to see him striding down the hall, looking fit to be tied.  Didn’t even look at me as he stalked past; just said ‘If anyone asks, Tessa, I’m not here.’ and slammed the door hard enough to rattle the walls.”  Turning to face Hermione, she asked, “What could have caused that, do you think?”</p><p>“Nothing good, that’s for damn sure,” Draco said before Hermione could answer.  Both women looked to see him frowning at Harry’s door.  He was quiet for another moment, then looked to Hermione.  “Didn’t you say he was meeting with Kingsley this morning?”</p><p>“Yes, but that meeting should have been over some time ago and I can’t think of anything that would have made him lose his temper so badly.”  She stared at the door a minute longer, sighed and then turned back to Tessa.  “Well, I know he won’t stay holed up in there if something drastic happens so I’m off.  I might be a little late getting back, Tessa, but it won’t be by much.”  A warm smile spread across the older woman’s face.</p><p>“I had forgotten what day it was till I saw your hair earlier.”  Hermione’s smile widened.  “You tell him I say hello and that his taste in flowers gets better every year.”</p><p>“I’ll definitely tell him,” Hermione answered with a slight chuckle.  As she turned to head down the corridor, Draco fell into step beside her.  Relieved that she made no objection, they began to make their way out of the department in companionable silence.  Deciding that his was as good a time as any to try and find out about the mystery admirer, he decided to try some subtle questions.</p><p>“Did you always get flowers for your birthday?”  She smiled and chuckled quietly.</p><p>“My birthday’s not till September.” Draco filed that away for future reference as she continued, “Believe me you won’t miss it when it is; Harry always does something over the top to my office every year.  Last year he transfigured it to look like a stage and hired a rock band to serenade me with “Happy Birthday” when I walked in.” She shook her head reminiscently.  “It was utterly ridiculous and completely made my day.”  Continuing to smile, she went on, “No, I get flowers every year on this day for helping someone out of a very rough spot.  He always sends me twenty-five so I can wear the one I like best when we go to lunch.  I keep telling him it’s not necessary, but he ignores me.”</p><p>In the silence following her statement, she chanced a glance at him as they approached the atrium.  His brow was furrowed slightly, his expression intense but unreadable.  Though not sorry that he was accompanying her, she wished she knew what to make of it.  </p><p>As the phone booth dropped into view, Draco’s brow furrowed further as he noticed her waiting for it rather than continuing to the fireplaces. </p><p>“You’re using the visitor’s entrance?”  She nodded as she opened the door.</p><p>“It’s one of the only occasions I do, actually.  I—what are you doing?”</p><p>Draco had followed her into the phone booth, drawing a few speculative glances as he did so.</p><p>“I don’t think you should go that way alone,” he said.  She bristled slightly.</p><p>“I’m perfectly capable of leaving the building, thank you.  There’s –”</p><p>“This has absolutely nothing to do with capabilities, Granger,” he cut across her as he shut the door and the booth began its slow ascent.  He drew a measured breath and concerned silver eyes stared deeply into hers.  “I read the complete case files, your parent’s case file.  I’d feel much better if you didn’t go alone.”  She tipped her head down and closed her eyes for a moment.  His hands itched to hold her, but he doubted she would allow it.  When she raised her head, her eyes were dry but they showed deep sorrow.</p><p>“How long have you known?” she asked softly.</p><p>“The week we were ambushed Potter called me in as he was packing his case and told me to read the complete files, look for a connection that might have been missed.  I got the impression that, though the rest of the captains know a lot, they do not have complete knowledge of the victims’ backgrounds.  Likely a decision that was made to minimize the threat to any surviving relatives.”</p><p>Hermione drew a shaky breath and nodded as the booth came to a halt.  Draco opened the door and indicated that she should precede him.  She turned to face him as he followed her onto the deserted street and Draco decided to take a chance.</p><p>“I know you have absolutely no reason to believe me, Granger, but I want to tell you that I’m very sorry you lost your parents.  Obviously, you have Potter to confide in, but if you should ever need my help, you need only ask.”</p><p>He watched her intently, hardly daring to move.  She watched him with equal intensity, as if searching for an answer to some unspoken question.  Slowly, she closed the distance between them, stood on her toes and hugged him around the neck.  He closed his eyes and returned the embrace, reveling in the way she fit against him.</p><p>“Thank you,” she whispered.</p><p>Releasing him, she turned to walk toward crowds bustling past the gate and then disappeared from sight around the corner.  Draco stepped back into the booth, dialed ‘62442’ and gave his name and purpose to get his token to begin his descent to the atrium.  Leaning against the wall, he closed his eyes and did his best to commit her touch to memory.</p><p> </p><p>Pretending not to notice Malfoy and Granger enter the visitor’s exit together, she made a mental note that they would bear watching and went about her business as usual.  No one ever noticed her; she made it a point to blend into the background.  Friendly but forgettable was exactly what she wanted to be; it was the best way to get information.  People had to be willing to talk to her and then forget her almost as soon as she left their presence, had to speak freely even if she was around because they didn’t see her as a threat.  Up until yesterday it had been a system that worked perfectly.</p><p>The effects of Tuesday night’s meeting were rippling through the department.  The squad captains no longer discussed the progress on any cases or missions openly, even within the wards of their department.  Patrols were changing daily and were never announced until the morning change over.  All private offices were warded shut immediately when their occupants left when previously only Potter and Granger had done so.  It was making her more than a little uneasy.  She had not been able to shadow anyone since the night she watched Malfoy poring over the case files Potter had left him and that had told her very little since he had secured his notes in his desk.</p><p>Knowing that her status was completely dependent on the supply of information she provided, she was mentally reviewing her options and thinking about how to adjust her method.  She would be expected to report as usual on Friday, giving her two days to add to the information she presented ahead of schedule.  Dunn had not been seen for several days and, though no remains had been found, it was whispered that he had been removed for his mistake at Carlton Court.  If the plans needed to change, she knew she had to find out quickly lest she meet a similar fate.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hermione understandably gets prickly when she thinks that Draco is slighting her capabilities but could not help but be moved by him only moments later.  Makes for a very confusing situation...she'll have to find a way to tip the scales a little to get a better idea of where he stands.  Unless Draco finds the courage to tell her first... ;)</p><p>I cannot thank you enough for your time, compliments and kudos.  You are truly appreciated and I hope you continue to enjoy the story! Have a wonderful weekend!</p>
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<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“This couldn’t come at a worse time,” Hermione groused.  “We have a bunch of goodness-knows-how-many sadistic nutters roaming free and we’re wasting time on a dinner.”</p><p>Ginny chuckled.  Trust Hermione to want to bag a banquet in favor of working.  <i>And yet</i>, she mused, <i>she’s being ridiculously picky about what she’s going to wear.  Typically, she doesn’t fuss about events like this.</i></p><p>“We need this, Hermione,” she said firmly.  “We need to communicate with the dignitaries from the visiting countries to see if this is going on elsewhere.  If it is, we need to discuss pooling not just information but resources.  The setting allows us to accomplish that and release a little tension at the same time.”  Hermione sighed and moved to the next rack of dresses.</p><p>“You’re right, of course,” she replied grudgingly.  Changing the subject, she asked, “I can’t believe we’re doing this so last minute.  Do you have any idea what you’ll choose?”</p><p>“I have my dress already, actually.  We’re here strictly for you.”</p><p>“But you shouldn’t be plodding through the shops just for me!  I can use—” Ginny laughed and held up her hand to stem the wave of protests.</p><p>“I wanted to be here!  This is the first time we’ve really had the chance to bum about together in quite some time.  Besides, the look on your face when I asked if you were ready told me there was nothing in your wardrobe you wanted to use, which brings to mind a question.”  She looked at Hermione with sparkling eyes and a knowing smirk.  “Why are you so concerned with what to wear?  Any other time you would have picked the first black dress you saw and called it done.”</p><p>Hermione blushed and concentrated hard on the dresses in front of her.  When she answered, she tried very hard to sound casual.</p><p>“Oh, no reason.  Just felt like changing it up a bit.”</p><p>“Uh-huh,” Ginny replied sarcastically as she arched an eyebrow.  “If I were to hazard a guess, I’d say you’re looking to dress to impress.  I would further speculate that the object of this effort is a certain flaxen-haired bit of yumminess that has recently joined the ranks.”</p><p>Hermione’s blush intensified as her eyes snapped up to meet Ginny’s smug, knowing expression.</p><p>“I never said—”</p><p>“You didn’t have to.  Any time he’s around you watch him and try not to make it obvious that you are.  Then there’s Malfoy.” Hermione glanced up quickly, then back to the dresses again.  “When he stopped by the house to talk to Harry he never missed a beat of the conversation, but he watched you through the window every chance he got.  Bearing that in mind, I would bet a stack of galleons that he’s fussing just as much as you are.”  Hermione stood fiddling with the strap of a dress.</p><p>“I’m not so sure about that, Ginny,” she said softly.  Ginny put her fingers under Hermione’s chin and raised her face so she could look directly at her friend.</p><p>“I love you like a sister, Hermione, and it breaks my heart to see you unhappy.  Harry too.  Had anyone asked me what I thought of him a few weeks ago I couldn’t utter a word of praise if you paid me.  Now I’m not at all sure he’s the same slimy git we grew up with.  If you think he will make you happy then we support you one hundred percent.”  With a grateful smile, Hermione hugged her fiercely.</p><p>“I wish I knew!” she said feelingly as they broke apart.  “He’s smart, attractive…there have even been moments where he seems to want to reach out to me.  But then I remember everything that happened between us and start wondering if I can trust him.  Could he ever do more than tolerate me?  Is any courtesy he shows me merely to give himself a better image?  If he still thinks as little of me as he’s always done, then would he ever entertain the idea of anything other than working together?  If I’m not a ‘filthy mudblood’ to him anymore, is anything really there or is it just a passing interest?”  Ginny studied the troubled expression Hermione wore as she resumed her search for a dress and swore silently at her brother.</p><p>There was no doubt that Hermione was still considered the brightest witch of their age.  In addition to having an intellect that was difficult to match, her courage and loyalty were as legendary as Harry’s.  She was sure of herself in every way, save two: her appearance and relationships.  Her failed relationship with Ron had only served to amplify that self-consciousness.  Drawing Hermione’s arm through her own, she decided to give her confidence a much-needed lift, whether she knew she needed it or not.</p><p>“Right then.  Time to get cracking.”</p><p>Hermione laughed at the determined expression on Ginny’s face.  Answering with a broad smile, Ginny marched her into the next shop.</p><p>“First the dress and, if we need to, shoes.  From there we’ll grab a bite and then have a bit of pampering before we have our hair done.”  Hermione shook her head ruefully.</p><p>“You’re assuming that I’m not only going to find a dress, but find one quickly.  That’s a pretty tall order.”</p><p>“It would be if I weren’t here to help you,” Ginny replied matter-of-factly as she began scanning the boutique.  “Ah ha!” she said suddenly and proceeded to march across the shop with a triumphant expression.</p><p>“This,” said Ginny as she held up her prize, “is your dress.”</p><p>Hermione blinked in surprise, but then a slow, mischievous smile spread across her face.</p><p>“Yes,” she agreed.  “This is my dress.” </p><p> </p><p>Harry was headed toward the base of the stairs when Ginny came in the front door.  He smiled and held out his hand.  When she took it, he pulled her close for a gentle kiss.</p><p>“Well don’t you look right pleased with yourself.”  She chuckled and looked at him with sparkling eyes.</p><p>“I am.  The day started a little rough, but improved quickly, thank goodness.  She needs to be reminded that she has more going for her than her phenomenal intelligence.  Always so many compliments about her mind and almost none about how she looks.”</p><p>Harry’s brow furrowed in consternation as he stared off into space.  Musing aloud, he said quietly, “I wish Ron hadn’t been such a colossal bastard.  Bloody bad enough resigning the way he did let alone what he did to ‘Mione.”<br/>
Heaving a sigh, she leaned in to hold Harry, resting her head on his shoulder.</p><p>“I know,” she said.  “But, in his defense, you can’t choose when or where you will love.  He proposed to Hermione thinking they had a forever connection, she accepted thinking that she would develop that connection.  Madeline arrived on the scene and he realized his relationship with Hermione wasn’t enough, would never be enough.”  Harry’s expression turned hard and anger simmered in his eyes.</p><p>“He should have ended it decently; should have told her straight off he wanted someone else.”  She nodded solemnly.</p><p>“I think in her heart she wonders if he was ever happy with her at all or if she was just familiar and comfortable; whether he was attracted to her or if it was just that she was safe and ever-present.”</p><p>“He acted a total arse, but I don’t think he was ever that low,” Harry replied firmly.  “I think he just realized the difference between platonic and romantic damn late in the game and set about handling it in the way that was easiest for him.  Her feelings had nothing to do with it.”</p><p>“Agreed.  But it’s her we need to convince.”  Harry turned thoughtful again.</p><p>“You think Malfoy might be the one to do it?”  She shrugged.</p><p>“Maybe so.  I love my brother, but he could never match Hermione’s intellect where Malfoy can definitely hold his own.  Magically they are well suited and are both driven to excel in whatever they put their hand to.”  When Harry remained silent, she leaned back to look at him and saw him staring off with an expression of deep concern, which she was not expecting.  “What’s the matter?”</p><p>“I agree with you and it worries me.”  Her brow creased slightly in confusion.</p><p>“Why should that worry you?  I should think it would do the opposite.”</p><p>“Because intelligence and a matched skill set count for a lot, but they need trust and that’s going to be hard to come by.  The history between them would be challenging enough, but, as individuals, they carry a lot of baggage that keeps them from letting people get close to them.”  She pondered this for a moment.</p><p>“Do you think they’d at least try?” Harry shrugged.</p><p>“Depends.  If they’re both paranoid about rejection then I doubt it.”  He refocused his attention back to her to find a sly, knowing expression on her face.  Mouth curving slowly in a smile, he asked, “What are you up to?”</p><p>Fast as a speeding snitch, she donned the look of wide-eyed innocence.</p><p>“Up to?”</p><p>“Yes.  You’re plotting something; I can see it.”  She chuckled and gave him a squeeze.</p><p>“Maybe just a little.”  Harry groaned and closed his eyes, though he was still smiling.</p><p>“Don’t tell me anything.  I want to be honest when I claim ignorance of your plans.”</p><p>“You’re assuming they’ll go wrong.”</p><p>“I’m assuming they won’t go the way you expect them to,” he corrected.  She playfully stuck out her tongue.</p><p>“Smarty.  Let’s get ready, then.”</p><p> </p><p>He hated muggle clothes.  That said, he hated the muggles even more and was willing to wear their appalling get ups if it got them any closer to getting rid of them once and for all.  It would take time, of course; they would need to cleanse their own nation before turning their attention to others.  Movements were beginning elsewhere, but they did not have the resources to move against their oppressors yet.  With monumental effort, he prevented a sneer crossing his face.  <i>I can't wait until I no longer have to hide from this filth</i>, he thought.</p><p>Nonchalantly, he raised his head from his book to look around the square and nodded slightly to a lone woman standing on the corner, who then nodded at him in turn before steadily walking along the front of the building.  Face turned back to his book, he smiled slightly as he covertly watched her progress until she disappeared into the crowd.  She was never above being involved, never too proud to be right in the thick of things and make sure that a plan was executed with perfect detail.  Tonight would be no exception.  </p><p>Voldemort had never done it, usually sending others to do his bidding and then taking credit because the orders were his.  No one could deny that he was powerfully magical and equally ruthless, but it was his own supremacy he sought and he was willing to trample underfoot anyone who stood in his way.  <i>But now</i>, he thought, <i>now we shall surpass both the might of Voldemort and the support of Grindelwald—for we fight together and we take no prisoners.</i></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello!  This is not a particularly long chapter, but I hope that you enjoy where the story goes from here! :) If you have never heard the Chopin prelude to which I am referring, here is a link and you can give it a listen:  https://youtu.be/Nj_S3Ot7_t8</p><p>While all kinds of main characters from the series are here and several couples feature prominently, Draco &amp; Hermione are front and center because I really would have liked to see them together in the series.  For the sake of consistency I am rating each of the chapters as mature even if some chapters do not contain anything that qualifies.  I try to research as much as I can from geography to science to keep the story as grounded as possible.  Full credit to J. K. Rowling on the creation of her characters and the wizarding world they inhabit.  I would love to know what you think and want to thank you in advance for taking the time to follow my take on what happens to the characters.  Hope you enjoy!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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